HONG KONG: The Health Authority is bracing for new local clusters of A (H1N1) influenza to surface in schools after the academic year opens next week.

Medical experts warned there is a potential for severe infections among children, noting that class suspension guidelines must be flexible and applied according to the evolution of the local epidemic.

Some 20 institutions including international schools and kindergartens were hit by the rapidly-spreading disease soon after students went back to schools over the past two weeks. Most conventional schools will reopen early in September.

Controller of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) Thomas Tsang said the summer's seasonal flu peak still has not passed, and incidence of swine flu remains high.

"Reports of outbreaks are expected to surge during the first two weeks after the new school term starts," Tsang said.

Based on statistics pertaining to the seasonal flu last year, as many as 100 schools could be identified with massive infections every week during the winter months.

The CHP will upload information about schools experiencing flu-like outbreaks on its website.

According to the CHP and Education Bureau, schools will be closed for seven days when flu outbreaks become established.

Public Doctors' Association president Ho Pak-leung thought the guidelines should be revised, subject to the progress of the virus.

"A key factor is whether there are severe infections in children such as acute pneumonia or even deaths," he said.

Ho said Hong Kong follows the same pattern experienced in other countries as the pandemic has progressed. At first infections were reported in healthy adults, followed by chronically ill patients and then children.

Infectious disease expert Lo Wing-lok proposed that the administration take a more targeted approach to suspending classes on a cluster basis. He said by way of example, if three or more students in the same class pick up the flu, that class, not the entire school, should be suspended.

Tsang said he believed the current guidelines have been wisely implemented thus far. He noted that the authorities must carry out ongoing reviews as the pandemic evolves.

Meanwhile, schools agreed it is inevitable that there will be flu outbreaks sooner than later.

Mary Tong Siu-fun, head of Parkview Rhine Garden Pre-school-cum-Hong Kong Kindergarten Association, said children could catch flu outside school and transmit it to others during classes.

Kindergartens have reminded parents to check their children's body temperature every day before school. Schools will also screen students who appear sick.

Lo suggested schools pay attention to children with coughs, as some infected patients may not develop fever in the first two days.

In addition, Tong said during the first week of the new school term, pupils in the same class will be segregated, with 14 children in each session. Instead of the usual three-hour classes, students will be permitted to go home after one hour.

"Young kids lack self-control and they may take off face masks, so we will send them home as soon as they have flu-like symptoms," she added.

Federation of Parent-teacher Associations of Yau, Tsim & MK Districts president Leticia Lau said parents generally found government measures effective but she urged the administration not to suspend classes hastily.

"Unless there is a massive outbreak, the government should not close the whole school," she said.

(HK Edition 08/29/2009 page1)