In the award citation, the CASE jury said, “This was an impressive campaign with only a five-day turnaround. As one of the first institutions having to deal with pandemic issues, this was a truly effective pivot.”

CASE stands for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. It is a global nonprofit association dedicated to educational advancement professionals—in alumni relations, communications, development, marketing, and advancement services—who share the goal of championing education to transform lives and society.

Separately Professor Keiji Fukuda, Ms Tsui Bernadette Wing Suen, Professor Chan Yuen Ying, and Mr Tang Laurence Yat Long also received an award for Knowledge Exchange from the HKU Faculty of Medicine for their work on FightCovid19.hku.hk.

The University’s Fight COVID-19 website (fightcovid19.hku.hk) was launched in February of 2020, one month after the outbreak. HKU set a precedent in getting vital and accurate information on the emerging virus out promptly to the community, both locally and internationally. The website also included a fundraising platform which benefitted more than 3,000 school students and provided speech-and-hearing therapy to low-income patients.

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The post Prof Malik Peiris on his path to studying emerging infectious diseases and the challenges of this work appeared first on Fight Covid-19.

Two distinguished scholars from the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), Professor Yuen Kwok-Yung and Professor Joseph Sriyal Malik Peiris, have been awarded the 2021 Future Science Prize in life sciences for their contributions in pathological discoveries in severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and its zoonotic origin, with impact on combating COVID-19. Their discoveries aiding the understanding of emerging infectious diseases have led to more effective responses and strategies in controlling these diseases.

Professor Xiang Zhang, HKU President and Vice-Chancellor, congratulated Professor Yuen and Professor Peiris for winning the award. He said, “This is a great honour in China’s scientific research landscape. It is a recognition of the excellence in research by HKU and its academics. We will continue to excel in our research and in teaching and learning, for the betterment of mankind.”

“The professors’ receipt of this prestigious award is a well-deserved recognition of their achievements, and a welcomed inspiration for our students and young researchers to pursue scientific advances for the benefit of mankind,” said Professor Gabriel Leung, Dean of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong.

About Future Science Prize
Established in 2016, the Future Science Prize aims to recognise and pay tribute to outstanding scientists in Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau for their scientific breakthroughs and innovations. The Prize is given in three categories – Life Science Prize, Physical Science Prize, and Mathematics and Computer Science Prize, each with $1 million of prize money.

Please visit this website for the announcement of 2021 Future Science Prize Winners.

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Click HERE to learn about their work featured in the official video announcement.

Annually, only one John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award is given, specifically for impact on global health issues. Professor Guan and Professor Peiris are the first HKUMed laureates of this global award by the Gairdner Foundation.

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^{Benjamin J. Cowling is chair professor of epidemiology at the University of Hong Kong Photo: RTHK}

• It is inevitable Hong Kong will be hit with a fifth wave sooner or later
• Meanwhile with no local covid transmission at present, there shouldn’t be a need for everyone to be wearing masks
• Much of the world will emerge from the pandemic and return to normal in spring — but not Hong Kong
• Government’s zero covid policy is preventing HK getting back to normal and could be abandoned now that we have effective vaccines and effective treatments
• The travel bubble with the mainland may prove unsustainable, like the Singapore one
• 21 days quarantine is not justified; 14 days is enough based on scientific evidence
• The type of masks giving most protection in the community are the KF94 ones made in Korea

Benjamin J. Cowling is chair professor of epidemiology at the University of Hong Kong. The story below, based on an interview with him, could save your life.

https://hongkongbuzz.hk/2021/11/how-to-protect-yourself-from-covid-19-interview-with-professor-ben-cowling

Separately, Hong Kong health minister says criticism of new quarantine policy misses key point – even ‘small risk’ not acceptable: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3154133/coronavirus-hong-kong-health-minister-says

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In RTHK’s Letter to Hong Kong program on December 20, Professor Ivan Hung, Clinical Professor and Assistant Dean (Admissions), Department of Medicine at HKU, wrote a letter to his uncle about the vaccine, and assured him about the benefits of getting the jab.

Below is the full letter:

Dear Uncle Kay

Over the past one year, the Covid19 pandemic has affected 191 countries, with more than 75 million people infected and in excess of 1.6 million deaths. The situation was particularly bad in the United States, the country where you live. With more than 200,000 patients diagnosed every day, we can’t help but worry about you! In these ten long months, Hong Kong has experienced wave after wave of outbreaks. All social and business activities were put on halt. The economy has suffered hefty losses. We are playing catch up with this very smart virus. Its mutation rate is astonishing as highlighted by the D614G mutation of the surface spike protein which greatly enhanced its transmissibility.

In Hong Kong, we are currently experiencing the “fourth wave” of the outbreak, initially started by a dance cohort and have resulted in almost 2000 new cases since late November. Despite being highly contagious, the virus virulence remains unchanged as the current circulating clade was the same Nepalese clade identified late September. Most severe cases required intensive care are elderly patients with comorbidity, although a few young patients with high viral carriage who presented late to the hospitals might also presented with deterioration. The cold weather might also increase the viral replication in the nasal passage and upper respiratory tract.

In your previous letter, you asked whether you should receive the Covid19 vaccine once available. I fully understand your doubt as this is a completely new vaccine, without long-term safety and efficacy data. With regards to the Covid19 vaccine technology, there are three main platforms.

The first type is the conventional vector based vaccine, which relies on the adenovirus to deliver the spike protein genetic code into human cells, which then produce the protein and prepare the immune system to respond to a future infection. The second type is a completely new platform, using gene editing and modification technology to make messenger RNA of the coronavirus surface spike protein into the vaccine. Once injected into the human body, the immune system will recognize the translated spike protein and start producing antibody against the coronavirus. The third type is a Covid19 recombinant spike protein nanoparticle vaccine with adjuvant, which is also a relatively new technology.

In the usual circumstance, it will take 5 to 10 years for a new vaccine to develop from the laboratory to go into the market. First, the vaccine must go through animal testing, followed by a three-stage human clinical trials. The final report must be approved by the local authorities (for example the Food and Drug Safety Administration in the US) before vaccination in the human subjects. However, since the health system of many countries are close to collapse, Covid19 vaccine pharmaceuticals have been given special rights to expedite the clinical trials process, in which the US and UK have already launched the community vaccination program based on the recently published phase III vaccine trial short-term results, with reported efficacy of 95% and 70% respectively. The pharmaceuticals are also given special exemption from liability clauses with regards to adverse effects due to the vaccine. Nevertheless, the vaccine manufacturers still have to take responsibility to ensure the quality of the vaccines.

Despite recent worrying reports of facial palsy after the Covid19 vaccination in a few of the trial patients, there are no evidence to suggest these adverse events were associated with the vaccine as similar incidents were also reported in the placebo group. With regards to the long-term results, we have yet to know the one-year or beyond vaccine efficacy and safety. As we previously reported of the world first case of reinfection, we understand that the antibody will drop to an undetectable level over a period of around 6 months. It is likely that similar to the influenza vaccine, annual COVID19 vaccination will be required and vigilance in infection control and face masking might still be needed.

In view of your age and past medical history of diabetes and obesity, I would strongly recommend you to receive the vaccine once available. We learn from our past experience that elderly patients, especially those with chronic illnesses of diabetes, cardiac and pulmonary diseases, immunosuppressed hosts and cancer patients on chemotherapy are at high risks of deterioration and complication of developing of severe pneumonia upon contracting COVID19. These high risk patients should be hospitalized once they are diagnosed and should be started on a combination of antiviral treatment as soon as possible, in order to suppress the viral replication and reduce the risks of subsequent complications and pneumonia associated with the hyperinflammation phase in the second week of the infection.

In your previous letter, you also expressed concern about whether the poorer countries will get a fair share of the vaccines. For this, you could rest assured. The International organization COVAX will be responsible for distributing the Covid-19 vaccines fairly among different countries. The COVAX, co-led by the Global Alliance for Vaccine Immunity (GAVI), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPi), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Its aim is to accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world. The coalition hopes to provide 2.1 billion doses of safe and effective vaccines in 2021, and to distribute them to all COVAX participating countries fairly according to the population, so as to provide a certain degree of safety net for poor countries.

At The University of Hong Kong, we have developed an intranasal COVID19 vaccine based on an influenza vaccine platform. Hopefully, we will be able to kick start the phase 1 clinical trial on this vaccine early next year. If successful, we will be able to proceed to Phase 3 clinical trial later next year globally. This vaccine has the potential of conferring local immunity at the nasal passage and could combine the seasonal flu and Covid19 as a single vaccine to be given annually.

Hopefully, the universal COVID19 vaccination coupled with the natural infection will shorten the time to achieve herd immunity globally, so that social, economic and traveling activities could be resumed. I look forward to visiting you in San Francisco next year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Warmest regards,

Ivan

Click here to listen the full letter

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HKU experts said the fourth wave of the epidemic has arrived, and called on the government to take emergency measures to contain further outbreak.

Speaking separately to the news media, leading experts on COVID-19 at The University of Hong Kong said that the government and the public should take the following actions immediately.

Gabriel Leung, Dean of Medicine:

• Designated specific hotels for exclusive quarantine purposes. Visitors should be banned from these hotels.
• Set up testing centres in all 18 districts
• Set up collection points for samples in every MTR station and petrol stations visited by taxi drivers.
• Cash allowance to COVID-19 patients should be given on a need basis.
• All non-essential indoor gatherings should be suspended.

Yuen Kowk-yung, Henry Fok Professor in Infectious Diseases, Chair of Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology:

• Mandatory COVID-19 tests for everyone with symptoms
• Always wear masks when out and about
• Citizens should keep track of their travels, such as the restaurant they have visited and the public transportation that have used
• Reduce mask-off time at social gatherings
• Use electronic payments where possible
• Extend the quarantine period for arrivals from high-risk places to 21 days

Benjamin Cowling, Professor and Division Head, School of Public Health:

• Government should close indoor leisure facilities like bars, karaokes and gyms

Ho Pak-leung, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology:

• Government should issue a home-stay order to persons who have received compulsory testing and require reports from the testing organisation within 24 hours

Read more from RTHK(Yuen Kwok-yung), RTHK(Benjamin Cowling), SCMP

Official testing locations and collection points of specimens for COVID-19 testing:

• Community Testing Centres
• Collection points for submission of specimens by patients of private doctors for COVID-19 testing
• Mobile specimen collection stations and specimen bottle distribution point
• Self-arranged testing provided by private laboratories recognised by the Department of Health

Buildings with two or more confirmed cases in the past 14 days

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Since the outbreak of COVID19, the Centre for the Humanities and Medicine (CHM) at The University of Hong Kong, has been working hard to explore the social, economical and political dimensions of the pandemic.

“CHM is unique as a hub that links science, public health, history and anthropology to address some of the biggest health challenges facing societies in Asia and globally,” said Professor Robert Peckham, MB Lee Professor in the Humanities and Medicine and CHM Director, in an interview with the Bulletin, a biannual magazine published by HKU’s Communications and Public Affairs Office.

In its latest issue, the Bulletin featured the work of the centre in an article titled “The Human Factor.” See the full article here.

The Centre has published articles in the international media, and online forums, including The BMJ, The Independent, Foreign Affairs, East Asia Forum, New Statesman, Prospect Magazine, and Anthropology News.

FightCovid19.hku.hk has posted some of CHM’s work here. Below are additional links to CHM publications on COVID-19.

Articles by  Robert Peckham:

• “War of the Worlds: Covid-19 and Pandemic Belligerence,” Items [Social Science Research Council] (August 11, 2020) [online essay].
• Past Pandemics Exposed China’s Weaknesses,” Foreign Affairs [Council on Foreign Relations] (March 22, 2020).
• “The Contagious Power of Fear,” New Statesman (March 11, 2020).
• “Why the World Health Organization is Calling Coronavirus an “Infodemic,”” Prospect Magazine (March 4, 2020).
• “COVID-19 Infodemic: To Stem the Tide of Panic, We Need to Understand People’s Fears, Not Condemn Them,” South China Morning Post (March 1, 2020).
• “Can We Overcome Pandemics?” Bloomberg: Digital Originals (February 24, 2020).
• The COVID-19 Outbreak Has Shown We Need Strategies to Manage Panic During u  xx aa Waze linko opo
•  Epidemics,” British Medical Journal (February 21, 2020).
• “Coronavirus is Testing the Limits of China’s – and Hong Kong’s – Preparedness,” South China Morning Post (February 14, 2020).
• “A Health Emergency is No Time to Sideline the Medical Humanities,” Times Higher Education (February 10, 2020).
• “Coronavirus Panic,” The Independent (January 30, 2020).

Others:

• “Hong Kong’s COVID-19 debate: are health and freedom really at odds?” East Asia Forum (June 2, 2020)
• “Going Viral in Hong Kong,”Anthropology News (March 3, 2020)

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In an interview with public broadcasting in the US, Professor Ben Cowling, an infectious diseases expert from HKU, said control of superspreading events is central to Covid-19 control even though many Covid-19 patients did not spread the virus in Hong Kong.

Cowling and his team documented Hong Kong’s superspreading events in a paper published in Nature Medicine and found that around 20 percent of patients are related to super-spreading events.

The superspreading events occurred on the upslope of the two Covid-19 epidemics in Hong Kong, while the numbers of infections came down when the city adopted public health control measures.

The research team said authorities should focus on tracing and quarantining contacts, and implement social distancing measures to reduce the risk of transmission.

“What we found in Hong Kong, and what I think occurs in many other parts of the world, is actually a whole lot of cases not infecting anyone else. A lot of zeros,” Cowling said. “But then, occasionally, you get ones or twos, or even bigger numbers: fives or 10s or 20s.”

Cowling told the largely US audience that he is taking precautions. “I’m a quiet person by nature anyway, but in COVID-19 I don’t go to crowded places because I know that’s where the risk is,” he  said. “So, I’ve been spending time in the countryside and spending more time at home doing my part. And of course, everybody in Hong Kong is wearing masks all the time.”

Read more from PBS news

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/why-understanding-superspreaders-is-key-to-controlling-covid-19

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In an interview with Commercial Radio on Tuesday, HKU’s microbiologist Prof Yuen Kwok-yung proposed mandatory Covid-19 testing for patients with mild symptoms. He also  called for the use contactless payment methods to minimise cross infections.

Yuen said about 80 percent of patients with mild symptoms were not willing to get tested for Covid-19 when they went to private doctors which posed a potential risk of spreading the virus in the community.

He recommended making the testing mandatory for those with mild symptoms and the authorities could punish people with a fine or even imprisonment if they fail to comply. But he also expressed concerns that this could worsen the situation as people may be afraid of seeking medical treatment.

He said that the government should  adopt infection control measures at high-risk locations such as wet markets, roast meat shops and cafes where employees are likely to handle both cash and packaging, which make it easier for the virus to spread. Businesses should adopt digital payment to avoid potential spread of the virus.

He warned earlier that more than 1,000 people could die from the pandemic this winter if the outbreak is not contained because the virus could survive longer in winter.

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