Measles May Spread To High-risk Patients: Expert

A top microbiologist from the University of Hong Kong, Ho Pak-leung says he is worried that measles cases may start to appear among people who are at a higher risk of developing complications, such as pregnant woman and people with weak immunity.

This comes after a radiologist came down with the highly infectious disease at Princess Margaret Hospital earlier this week.

Hong Kong has seen 43 measles cases so far this year, with nearly half of those infected working at the airport.

Speaking after attending an RTHK programme, Ho, who is the head of the University of Hong Kong’s Centre for Infection, said there is a high chance that more hospital workers may be infected in the coming weeks.

He urged people to remain on alert, adding that those who are weak or pregnant must wear face masks properly when they visit high-risk areas, like hospitals.

“I frequently notice visitors not using surgical masks in a proper way. Some of them would use a mask to cover only their mouth, but not the nose. And many of them would pull down their masks to the neck and chin area. All these manoeuvres would put the person using the mask at risk of getting infected,” Ho said.

He urged hospital staff to clearly instruct visitors on how to correctly wear face masks to reduce chances of the contagious disease spreading.