Story maps
故事地圖

Ten years ago in 2003 Hong Kong was hard hit by the SARS outbreak, an infection caused by a coronavirus, now referred as SARS-coronavirus or SARS-CoV. Worldwide there were 8098 cases, of which 1775 were from Hong Kong and 299 died. While we commemorate the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's worst epidemic, another new coronavirus virus began to emerge in the Arabian Peninsula since April 2012. As of May 2013, over 40 cases of infections by the new coronavirus (novel coronavirus, NCoV) have been reported, half of which have died. This map shows the distribution of NCoV cases, most of which resident in Middle Eastern countries - Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Most patients have significant respiratory disease. In the United Kingdom there was a family cluster of 3 patients, one of which had history of travelling to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. More than half of the reported cases have died. While exposure to animal is speculated to be the cause of NCoV infections, human-to-human transmission has occurred, though it does not appear to transmit easily. For members of the public, the same precaution against avian influenza applies - good personal hygiene, avoidance of contact with poultry and wild animals, alertness for symptoms if returning from NCoV affected countries.

十年前，亦即2003年，香港受到新發現的冠狀病毒所引發的沙士疫症襲擊，病毒及後正名為沙士冠狀病毒。當時全球共有8098感染個案，其中香港佔1775人，包括299死亡個案。在我們紀念香港最嚴重疫情的十週年，另一種新型冠狀病毒於2012年4月在阿拉伯半島出現。截至2013年5月，全球共有超過40個確診新型冠狀病毒感染個案，一半已死亡。地圖顯示新型冠狀病毒感染個案的分佈，大部份病者居於中東國家，包括卡塔爾、沙特阿拉伯及約旦。大部份個案呈嚴重呼吸道感染病徵。英國有一個由3名病者形成的家庭感染群組，其中一人曾經到過巴基斯坦及沙特阿拉伯旅遊。根據推測，新型冠狀病毒起源於人和動物接觸。儘管已經出現人傳人的情況，至今未有迅速傳播現象。要預防新型冠狀病毒感染，公衆可參考預防禽流感的措施:包括採取良好的個人衛生習慣、避免接觸家禽和野生動物。如果從有新型冠狀病毒感染個案報告的國家回港，必須留意有沒有出現相關病徵。