Hong Kong 'flu' hotel sealed off with 300 people - WTF!!

[malaise]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8029871.stm?b
<snip>
About 300 people at a Hong Kong hotel have been placed under quarantine after a guest there became China's first confirmed swine flu case.

The 25-year-old man, who is now in hospital after testing positive for the virus, had travelled from Mexico via Shanghai, Hong Kong's leader said.

Local TV footage showed police wearing masks guarding the hotel exits.

Meanwhile, the UK joined Canada, Spain, Germany and the US in reporting person-to-person transmission of the virus.

Mexico, where the outbreak began, has started a five-day shutdown of parts of its economy in a bid to curb the virus's progress.

Mexican officials say the spread of swine flu - suspected in more than 160 deaths - is slowing, but international experts are more cautious.
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That would piss me off big time.

[Fuzz]

1. Heavy handed.

[thunder rising]

4. nahh, killing all the pigs in the country is heavy handed ... this is just China being China

First, oppress the population ...
then, try to determine if killing them all is a solution.
if it is then problem solved
otherwise kill them all as a warning about whining.

[malaise]

7. Is that you in Seemslikeadream's pix?

:shrug:

[malaise]

5. The news earlier said they were quarantined for a week

I don't think I could tolerate being locked in a hotel for a week.

[seemslikeadream]

6. Do you live in Hong Kong?

[Fuzz]

20. No

[Mojorabbit]

14. Hong Kong has always

been serious about flu containment.

[Deja Q]

2. Hong Kong Pghlemy

:hide:

[eShirl]

28. quicker than the human eye

RIP Scatman

[seemslikeadream]

3. yep

AP Photo 23 hours ago
A couples wave from their room of Metro Park Hotel in Hong Kong Friday, May 1, 2009 as they are isolated. The first confirmed swine flu victim in the city was confirmed to have stayed. Health authorities in Hong Kong detected the first swine flu infection and confirmed that the victim is a visitor from Mexico.




Reuters Pictures 10 hours ago
Health workers with protective suits walk into a hotel which was cordoned off by the police in Hong Kong after a case of influenza A (H1N1) is confirmed in the territory May 1, 2009.

[malaise]

8. Damn

This planet appears to be going batshit crazy.
I'm really wondering if my niece will be calling off her wedding next month.

[northernlights]

9. at least some of it has to do with

the density of their population. Which could be rapidly thinned out if the flu got loose, but not in ways that they can decide who gets culled from their herd.

Since officials don't know for sure why the flu is so much more virulent in Mexico, but probably suspect less treatment available in a more vulnerable population, and China has similar issues, they're probably more fearful and maybe rightly so.

I wouldn't jump to call them on it just yet. It's not like they banned smithfield bacon or anything.

[malaise]

10. LOL

for the smithfield bacon. They may be taking the correct action for Hong King and China, but spare a thought for those frustrated guests.

Why can't they be tested and released?
Why should they be quarantined for a week?

[Tangerine LaBamba]

11. I don't know how long it takes to test ....

How long does the culture take? It could be a week.

Hong Kong, as someone else pointed out, is so incredibly densely populated, believe it or not, this is a sensible act. Otherwise, it could be grievous ..............

[malaise]

21. It probably is a sensible act

but if I were a guest in the hotel, I'd be crawling the wall.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

24. Depends on which hotel .......

If it's the Peninsula, I'd VOLUNTEER to be quarantined there. I'd let someone COUGH ON ME for a free week there!

Oh, god, it's so gorgeous - maybe my favorite hotel in the whole world:

http://www.peninsula.com/Peninsula_Hotels/en/Hotels/default.aspx#/Hong_Kong/en/

[Old and In the Way]

27. that place is incredible.

way out of my price range. Marco Polo is good;so is the Miramar. I've also stayed at some real fleabaggers along Nathan Road :-( I thought maybe one of those was the quarantined hotel.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

29. I've had lunch at the Marco Polo -

a very beautiful place. And the food was terrific.

But I'm not sure I've ever had a bad meal in HK.

I wonder which hotel is quarantined. I can't find it anywhere - yet...

[malaise]

32. Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaah hahahahahah

Priceless. :rofl:

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Time of transmission

that is the reason

There are valid reasons to say they might be over reacting, but there are valid reasons to say they are not

In fact, I wish mexico over reacted early on... and closed the airport and all bus stations

Now... too late, horsey left that barn (or it is bugs) a while ago

DId I mention that would mean I'd still be in Mexico City?

[malaise]

22. That's the hard part

Being stuck when it has nothing to do with you.
I understand but it wouldn't make me any happier.

[northernlights]

if they're exposed it may take

a few days for the virion population to grow enough to show up on a test. I don't know much about testing for virus. Actually, I don't remember much about testing for anything. I just finished my microbiology course with a strong A -- but sadly it all flies by so fast that it's in one ear, quick put it on paper before I forg...er, what was it I was writing about?

Anyway, I don't think viruses can be cultured easily. They need living cells to grow in. I don't remember what the quick field tests are that they do for viruses and dna testing takes several days assuming you've got some of the virus dna to start with. It's also a much more expensive test to run.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Here is a tidbit for you, don't go to mexico

on the way out at ALL airports passengers bound for the US are health screened

You got fever you don't board the plane

You got a positive for H1N1 you don't board

That by the way is under the request of the US Government and that order includes US Citizens

This IS standard

And I feel sorry for the poor consular and embassy officials that will have to field the many BUT THEY CANNOT DO THIS TO ME calls

Yes, yes they can

On both sides of the border actually

[jwirr]

26. My daughter is in Cancun right now. We have used quarantine for

years in this country to combat epidemics so this is not new. My hope is that we have agreed to provide those left in Mexico because they are sick or showing signs of sickness with good health care even if we have to set it up like a mash unit. We tried to get her to come home early but she says the embassy has told them it is okay and that they will be notified if they have to leave. The embassy is also telling them that if you are an American citizen then you will be allowed to cross the border - the kicker is that they cannot get on the plane! She also says that they do not see anyone who is sick around them. I am very angry with her. She should be taking this more seriously. They have been given medications to take everyday to prevent the flu and they are washing their hands etc. We will just have to see how it works out. Damn her.

[shadowknows69]

15. Whoa, synchronicity

My wife and I are watching a movie called "Quarantine" right now.

[kestrel91316]

16. Serious overkill, given that the guy infected Shanghai before he

got to Hong Kong..........

[northernlights]

17. maybe they care more about Hong Kong

than Shang Hai?

Maybe they've already written off Shang Hai. Isn't Shang Hai more of an every day "grunt" city, as opposed to high-flying Hong Kong?

[kestrel91316]

19. Good point.

[Duer 157099]

18. On the bright side, if you're going to be quarantined anywhere

it may as well be a place that will have some kick-ass Chinese food delivered!

[malaise]

23. I love Chinese food but seven days of it

is more than I need.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

30. Not like HK food .....

It's scrumptious, a food-lover's heaven. And, if I were quarantined in the Peninsula, I'd be very, very happy with a week of their room service.

You'd love it, I promise you, you really would.

Now, I'm hungry ............................

[malaise]

31. LOL

OK then :D

We went to a nice seafood buffet today. They're very popular on Fridays in Jamaica - not Chinese though.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

33. SEAFOOD BUFFET?????

I just picked up six pounds of head-on Carolina shrimp, for a great big old shrimp boil tomorrow, under this beautiful weather. Lots of Cold Hot Noodles to go with, as well as a great big mixed greens salad.

SEAFOOD BUFFET????

What did you have?????

:::::: drooling :::::::

[Blue Meany]

25. I lived in Hong Kong for a few years and remember that

the press there tends to react to public risks with hysteria, spurring the govt. to act quickly, decisively, and usually effectively but often with a bit more vigor than is needed (killing all the chickens in the province, for example, to mitigate the chicken flu). I think the reason is that scapgoating is a pervasive element of Chinese bureaucratic culture; if something goes wrong, someone has to be fired, and no one wants to the one who gets blamed.