The Mainland Affairs Council yesterday warned people planning to visit Hong Kong to be alert to the dangers of catching atypical pneumonia there, as a hospital in Taiwan treated a couple suspected of contracting the potentially deadly disease in Guangdong Province.
Chen Tzai-chin (
Chen said the couple's condition could not be confirmed until tests are completed on Monday.
Chen declined to identify the couple, saying only that the businessman suffered symptoms similar to those of atypical pneumonia after coming back from Guangdong, and his wife's symptoms appeared after she began taking care of her husband.
Earlier yesterday council Vice Chairman Chen Ming-tong (
"We are hopeful that local citizens intending to travel to Hong Kong can steer clear of crowded and poorly ventilated public places and maintain vigilance regarding their own health and safety," Chen said, adding that officials will continue monitoring developments in the health situation in Hong Kong.
As many Taiwanese people often make pleasure trips to or transit stops in Hong Kong, staff members at CKS airport have stepped up a publicity campaign to remind Hong Kong-bound travelers of the new health hazard.
They distributed flyers and put up posters to inform outbound visitors of the atypical pneumonia alert.
The Department of Health issued a similar warning Thursday.
Taiwanese travelers who develop symptoms of pneumonia or flu after visiting Hong Kong or Vietnam should see a doctor immediately and list the places they have toured to facilitate diagnosis of their disease, the DOH said in a press release.
Many diseases, such as epidemic influenza and legionnaire's disease, can display symptoms of atypical pneumonia and should be treated carefully, the DOH press release said.
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