Don't Head To A&E Over Measles Fears: Official

Health officials on Wednesday sent out mixed messages over the city's measles outbreak, saying hospitals were well prepared to deal with any further cases, but those who suspect they have the disease would be best to stay away.

The Hospital Authority said staff at public hospitals would work to identify any patients with measles as quickly as possible so they can be put into isolation.

People suspected to have the disease will be sent to wards where the staff will be wearing full protective gear, officials said.

But Dr Owen Tsang, from the authority's infectious disease centre, also said that if people fear they have measles, they should not head for the city's accident and emergency departments.

"A rash will usually come two to four days after the onset of symptoms, so it might be difficult for any professionals to identify them," Tsang said.

"If people only have some fever and some non-specific symptoms, they can really go to their private practitioners or their family doctors to seek help. Because A&E [departments] are packed with people, they have to wait a long time before they can see a doctor, so there will always be a chance that there might be some infections going on."

Tsang also said the Hospital Authority will start giving measles jabs to high-risk staff from next week, including workers aged between 42 and 52, and those assigned to vulnerable units like paediatric wards.

Thirty measles cases have so far been confirmed in Hong Kong since the beginning of the year, double the figure for the whole of 2018.