Mexico and Hong Kong: Fears over the fatal swine flu virus · Global Voices
Winglok Hung

Confirmed and suspected cases of swine flu keep increasing and the fatal influenza epidemic has spread worldwide at an alarming speed.
As of 28 April 2009, more than 100 people have been killed by the disease in Mexico, and more confirmed cases have been found in Canada, the United States, Spain, Britain and South Korea. Suspected cases have also appeared in Brazil, France, Israel and Australia.
Margaret Chan who is now the Director-General of World Health Organization (WHO), previously served as Director of Health in Hong Kong and led the Hong Kong government to tackle the 1997 H5N1 avian flu and 2003 SARS outbreaks. Nevertheless, Hong Kong residents are expressing their fears over the leadership of Margaret Chan to fight against the recent swine flu.
Martin Oei, a senior journalist in Hong Kong, is skeptical of Margaret Chan's capability to handle another outbreak:
相信年資十年以上的記者或評論員，都不會忘掉現任世衛總幹事陳馮富珍醫生，她在擔任香港衛生署署長時，對抗H5N1和SARS時的表現，她在中國政府全力支持下居然做到世衛總幹事，簡直可以用無天理來形容。我在這裡的博客文章都講，我寧可支持日本的尾身茂醫生擔任總幹事。
豬流感蔓延全球，這次是對陳馮富珍一次重大考驗，但作為香港人，見她H5N1和SARS時的表現，你敢對她有信心？所以，香港人絕對要自求多福…
As swine flu is spreading across the world now, it will be a big challenge for Margaret Chan. As a Hong Kong resident, looking back for her performance in H5N1 and SARS, do you have confidence in her? So, Hong Kong people have to wish for good luck and fortune by ourselves…
Other Hong Kong people also joined the discussion on Hong Kong Discuss in mocking Margaret Chan for her advice, “I eat chicken everyday,” during the early outbreak of avian flu in 1997.
Reader Phmo wonders:
唔知陳馮富珍今次會唔會日日食豬呢！
And Edric taunts her with:
佢會日日食國內空運豬肉
Meanwhile, the past dismal experiences of 1997's avian flu and 2003's SARS outbreak might trigger Hong Kong people’s fears over the recent swine flu. There are currently five students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong on exchange in Mexico and one of them, Daydrew Ng, wrote on Facebook of his decision to leave Mexico immediately:
Daydrew Ng at 3:55pm April 27
我同sandy 會這個星期走…我知我冇什麼資格影響你的決定…但大家都係係mexico exchange 的香港人…算係比較了解你現在心情的人….我真係覺得…我地應該走!!!
我唔知係唔係傳媒誇張…也唔知真實的情況去到幾嚴重…其實應該無人會知…我都無需要知…
因為我肯定的係…我有好多愛我的朋友和家人…佢地都好擔心我…我唔想佢地為我擔心, 佢地支時我每一個決定, 但我都要正面回應佢地的支持…唔可以令佢地失望!…
I am not sure whether mass media are exaggerating…I don’t know the real situation either…but there is no need to know….
I know for sure that I have many friends and family members whom I love very much….they are worrying about my situation…I don’t want to let them down….they will support my every decision and I have to respond positively to their support….can’t let them be disappointed!!