Hong Kong’s longest flu season comes to an end after more than 6 months
- Centre for Health Protection confirms that flu season, which started in mid-January, has reached its end, but warned Covid-19 infections had increased
The Department of Health’s Centre for Health Protection confirmed on Thursday that the flu season, which started in mid-January, had finished, but appealed to the public to maintain a high standard of hygiene.
“The current influenza season lasted for 28 weeks, which is not common in Hong Kong,” a department spokesman said.
“The Centre for Health Protection believes that this prolonged influenza season can be attributed to a change in the circulating influenza virus strains.”
The city’s predominant virus at the start of the season was flu A subtype H3, but that was later changed to subtype H1 in April.
Hong Kong’s winter flu seasons in the past normally lasted from eight to 12 weeks.
The centre said flu levels peaked for a month from around late April, then dropped gradually.