Hong Kong’s Prolonged Flu Season Raises New Health Concerns
Hong Kong’s prolonged flu season is raising new concerns among health experts. The city is dealing with a mutated virus strain that spreads more easily. In addition, a cold snap is pushing more people indoors. As a result, transmission may last longer than usual.
Specialist David Hui from the Chinese University of Hong Kong said the summer flu wave began in mid-October. It has started to recede. However, the cooling weather may slow this decline. He explained that lower temperatures help the virus stay active. The city could drop to 13 degrees Celsius this week, which, in turn, may boost spread.
Why this flu season may last longer
Hui noted that people tend to stay in enclosed spaces when the weather turns cold. For example, homes for the elderly and schools may see higher transmission. He added that the dominant H3N2 strain has gone through seven mutations. These changes have increased its ability to spread. UK data shows that 140 people may get infected for every 100 cases, compared with 120 before.
Therefore, this flu wave may not fade within the usual six to eight weeks. It could even overlap with the winter peak that normally appears from January to March.
Could Hong Kong face year-round flu?
Hui said flu patterns changed during the Covid-19 years. Hong Kong experienced five summer flu outbreaks in the past decade. He believes the next one or two seasons will show whether the city is shifting toward year-round flu, similar to Singapore.
He also stressed the value of vaccines. Protecting children can protect the whole community because they often spread the virus to older relatives. He encouraged parents to use maternal and child health centres for timely vaccination.
Hui said current vaccines still prevent severe illness. He added that Tamiflu also works against the latest H3N2 variant.
