Hong Kong tourists with medical conditions should avoid flu-hit countries: experts

Chronically ill patients should consider delaying any planned trips to countries battling flu surges, Hong Kong medical experts have warned, while also urging travellers to keep a record of local emergency numbers and buy insurance ahead of their departure.

The warning came after the family of 48-year-old Taiwanese actress Barbie “Big S” Hsu Shi-yuan revealed on Monday that the beloved celebrity had died from pneumonia after contracting flu while travelling in Japan.

Hsu also reportedly had a heart condition and a history of epilepsy, which had required treatment in hospital due to seizures.

“High-risk patients should consider delaying their travel if the destination has a serious epidemic of influenza,” respiratory medicine specialist Dr Leung Chi-chiu said.

High-risk patients had a higher chance of developing severe complications if they contracted flu, he said.

“Chronic diseases, especially poorly controlled cardiovascular and lung diseases, increase the risk of death after severe flu,” Leung said. “Flu and other infections may also increase the risk of epileptic attacks among patients with poorly controlled epilepsy.”