Sri Lanka faces China viral pneumonia infections risk
A potentially dangerous viral pneumonia has infected dozens in the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province and could spread internationally, including in Sri Lanka, which is ill prepared for public health emergencies and is vulnerable.
Hundreds of thousands of Chinese arrive in Colombo every year, drawn by the ease of entry.
A Hong Kong microbiologist suspects the Wuhan viral pneumonia is spreading from person to person in China. Chinese health authorities had said earlier there was no transmission between humans.
The Bandaranaike International Airport was unaware of the national security and public health dangers this unknown viral pneumonia from China poses, until the Sunday Times called today at about 11: 35am Colombo time to ask whether airport officials were aware of the disease, if there are contingency plans, and if any Chinese passengers from China and Hong Kong, in particular, are being screened with thermal scanners, or other means.
The Airport Duty Manager, Vishwa Atalugama, pledged to inform the national health authorities, airport health office, and executives including, Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Chairman, G.A. Chandrasiri.
A microbiologist who also researches infectious diseases, Dr Ho Pak-leung, of the University of Hong Kong, told government broadcaster, RTHK, on Saturday, that it was likely the disease is spreading from human to human.
He recommended the use of every monitoring tool possible. Dr Ho heads the university’s Centre for Infection.
There are fears the disease could be similar to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, ( SARS), that spread rapidly from China to Hong Kong and 37 countries killing 774 people. and infecting 8,000. It originated from a Chinese man who had killed and eaten a civet cat.
On a few occasions during the SARS epidemic, there was panic in Sri Lanka at the airport and at hospitals.
The SARS virus brought Hong Kong to its knees in 2003 and killed 299 including pregnant women, doctors and health care workers. It infected 1,755. SARS mostly infected the Chinese population of Hong Kong.
Now, public health authorities in Hong Kong are advising not just temperature screenings, but also surveillance, cleaning as well as protection and control of the Wuhan pneumonia. Public and private doctors are being alerted to Chinese visitors and others presenting with fever, or symptoms of respiratory infections.