The emergence of a so-called “super flu” has gripped global headlines, prompting authorities in Hong Kong to urge residents to get vaccinated.
Amid the spate of infections, a local research team also found that 99 per cent of residents lacked sufficient antibodies needed to protect themselves from the new strain.
With many people travelling for the Christmas holiday, the Post breaks down what the new super flu is, whether it is as dangerous as it sounds and what you can do to protect yourself.
1. What is super flu?
The World Health Organization and Hong Kong’s Department of Health warned earlier this month that there had been a “rapid increase” in cases of a new variant of the H3N2 Influenza A virus, also known as subclade K, since August.
Its emergence has been associated with noticeable spikes in year-on-year influenza cases across the northern hemisphere, including the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe.
The Department of Health said that cases of subclade K had been detected in more than 34 places, with influenza rates reaching high levels in popular travel destinations for Hongkongers such as mainland China, South Korea and Japan.
It added that while the subclade K had been spreading rapidly, current data indicated the strain did not cause a more severe form of illness.
