Kindergartners wear masks in Hong Kong in January. [Photo by Parker Zheng/China Daily] The number of deaths caused by influenza in the Chinese mainland in January was nearly the same as the total flu deaths for all of 2018, and exceeded the combined flu deaths for 2016 and 2017, according to latest figures released by National Health Commission. More than 608,000 flu cases were reported in the mainland in January, including 143 deaths, while the total of reported flu cases in January of last year was about 274,000, including 56 deaths, the commission said. The total number of flu deaths last year was 144, compared with 56 in 2016 and 41 in 2017. Winter is peak season for influenza outbreaks in most parts of China, with January usually recording the greatest number of cases. The number of cases across China declined between Feb 2 and 10, according to the Chinese National Influenza Center. The health commission had not offered an explanation for the surge in flu cases and deaths in January as of press time. Li Xingwang, chief infectious expert at Beijing Ditan Hospital, which specializes in infectious diseases, said the hospital had received many more patients in serious condition caused by flu over this winter than last winter. We were under very heavy pressure, and all wards were full with patients in serious condition, he said. Most of the patients were referred from other hospitals that lacked proper diagnostic skills or lacked proper quarantine facilities. January was the peak season for influenza diagnosis and treatment at the hospital, and now the number of flu patients has decreased greatly, he said. In general in Beijing the number of flu cases over the past winter may be similar to or slightly higher than last winter, Li said. Yao Hangping, a professor of infectious diseases at Zhejiang University, said flu alone does not normally lead to death, but people with certain chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases or asthma could face much higher risks of death due to flu. Every year, the virus that causes the flu outbreaks changes, but over the past winter no major mutation of virus was detected that resulted in it being much more infectious or deadly, he said. Flu outbreaks in most parts of China are expected to gradually decline starting in March, he said. Guo Yanhong, deputy chief for medical administration and supervision at the health commission, said that ahead of the weeklong traditional Chinese New Year's holiday, which ended on Feb 10, health authorities across China had required medical institutions to remain on 24-hour duty during the holiday to ensure emergency treatment to people with diseases including flu. In Hong Kong, flu also inflicted a heavy toll: By Tuesday, 226 people had died after catching the flu over the winter, with 75 percent of the dead being elderly, according to a report by ThePaper.cn. All the beds for patients with respiratory diseases were occupied at 15 public hospitals in the special administrative region, and in some hospitals, patients had to wait for more than seven hours to see a doctor, the report said custom braceletssilicon braceletssilicone bracelet maker machineplastic braceletssilicone wristbands vancouver
PHNOM PENH - Boao Forum, one of the Asia's most prestigious platforms, has played a vital role in finding solutions to challenges that the region and the world are facing, said Sok Siphana, an advisor to the Cambodian government.Speaking to Xinhua ahead of the annual Boao Forum recently, which is scheduled for April 8-11 in South China's Hainan province, Siphana said 2018 started with a lot of mixed global and regional developments, like the prospects of trade war, geo-political rivalries, protectionism, and anti-globalization tendencies on the one hand, and on the other hand, the globe has disruptive technologies which were shaping the growth prospects of the world."As usual, the Boao Forum is quite bold in tackling sensitive issues of regional and global importance, from Fintech, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data, to broad topics of connectivity, like infrastructure, the Belt and Road, trade and monetary policies of major powers (China, the United States, Japan and India)," he said.He added that the forum had its likely impacts on the world economic growth and global governance issues to respond to profound changes in a global economic landscape, i.e. from International Monetary Fund reform to Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and from G7 to G20.Siphana said at the upcoming forum, he would be speaking at a CEO Roundtable on the Belt & Road: Case studies & Success Stories."We hope to hear from various governments and corporations on how they have been able to conduct successful projects and how we can learn from them, in terms of project design and implementation," he said. "I intend to highlight a Cambodian Belt and Road project related to the development of the cassava industry."Siphana said the expectation from the upcoming Boao Forum was the accumulation of a wealth of knowledge and insights from high-level speakers and participants and how he could apply them to improve the policies and development of Cambodia."So many dynamics are shaping our world and their evolution is so rapid. Unless we can stay abreast of these developments, I am afraid we will be on the losing end of this global geo-politic and economic game," he said.Asked whether he had any suggestions on the cooperation between China and Cambodia under the Belt and Road Initiative, Siphana said so far, the cooperation was progressing at a very rapid pace."I am keen to see both China and Cambodia pro-actively make an early assessment of the various projects and initiatives which the governments have endorsed," he said. "We need to look quite critically on the private sector dynamics as well, which have taken on a life of its own, even without the governments knowing about it."The expert expressed his belief that any fast growth would entail both positive and negative impacts on the economy of the country, as well as on the society and the local communities, and for sure on the environment.He said lessons needed to be learned, and they needed to be learned fast so that they could take early corrective measures.As 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the China's reform and opening up policy, Siphana said the reform and opening up had not only benefited China itself, but also all countries across the globe."I see China's reform and opening up is a good sign. Good for China, good for the region and indeed for the world," he said. "I believe this is a moment where China can show its true global leadership.""We can't afford to see so many decades of global economic liberalization going down the drain. Perhaps China is the answer," he added.
