[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/05/11/intv.moore.art.jpg caption= "Mark Moore was quarantined in a Hong Kong hotel for seven days."]
The number of deaths across the world linked to the H1N1 virus, or “swine flu,” has passed 50. China is now reporting its first infection. The Chinese have taken extraordinary measures to prevent the spread of the flu strain.
In Hong Kong last week, nearly 300 people were quarantined inside a hotel after a guest got sick. Mark Moore was one of those quarantined guests. He spoke to Carol Costello on CNN’s “American Morning” Monday.
Carol Costello: You were in Hong Kong, in a very posh hotel, having a great time. And all of a sudden… what happens?
Mark Moore: To be honest, I didn't know what was happening. I was in my room doing e-mail and my brother called me and he said you realize your hotel is under quarantine the last two hours, which nobody had notified me. The whole hotel was locked down. Everyone in the hotel had to stay there.
Costello: What did you do when you got the word from your brother? I mean eventually the hotel management came and took you to a certain area. Tell us about that.
Moore: We were all tested. We had our temperatures tested. We were all taken to a common area, which I think some of us questioned because if there were sick people in the hotel, surely it would have been better to keep us in our rooms and test us individually in isolation. We were brought down to the mezzanine floor and we were tested en masse.
Costello: So they took your temperature…
Moore: Nobody by the way was sick.
Costello: Nobody was sick except for that one guest. So what did you do for those seven days?
Moore: Seven days, we were pretty much confined to our room. This is a business hotel. Very few facilities. No swimming pool, no gym. The only restaurant was converted into a consultation area and the ground floor into a distribution area for food and for consultation with sort of general inquiries and the police. Nobody was allowed into the hotel. Although we were allowed to get food deliveries and parcels delivered into the hotel whilst we were there.
Costello: What would happen if you tried to leave? Did anybody threaten you?
Moore: There were police on the door. One entrance and one exit. Everything else was locked down. The windows were all basically curtained off so even the press, the media couldn't see into the hotel.
Costello: The Hong Kong government said “We all understand the boredom, the frustration, they [the guests] experienced during the quarantine period. Many of the guests have expressed understanding of our measures. We truly appreciate that and we are thankful for the sacrifice they have made for the sake of public health.” They're very sensitive in Hong Kong because the SARS outbreak occurred there and many people died. So how do you respond to this, that they are thankful for the sacrifice you have made for the sake of public health?
Moore: I understand everyone’s a little nervous and there's still a lot to understand about this disease. And I also understand that they're very sensitive after SARS. I was in Hong Kong during SARS and for sure there's a real concern within the Hong Kong community. However, I think the general consensus in the hotel amongst the guests was that we accepted having been quarantined but after two, three, four days with nobody showing any symptoms, we were pretty much sure that nobody was sick and nobody was going to get sick and we wanted to leave.
Costello: I saw the pictures of you guys finally being released from the hotel. People were hugging one another, they were crying, they were celebrating. What was it like among the guests in there? Were you going completely nuts?
Moore: The guests were remarkably well-humored. Everyone that I saw at least was very peaceful and held themselves together very well. And I also like to thank the front line staff, the government officials, the police, the hotel staff in the hotel, everyone was extremely well-mannered and polite and tried to make our stay as easy as possible, I would say.
Costello: We're glad you're finally sprung and we hope you go back to Hong Kong.
Moore: It’s good to be out. I think everyone will go back to Hong Kong. The only point was that the normal epidemiology, the incubation period for the disease as we understand it is three to four days. There's a question mark amongst the guests, why the quarantine period extended to seven days? After a couple of days, everyone started removing their masks, everyone was confident we were all healthy and well, drinking wine with one another and socializing. However, I guess the rules came down from Beijing that the hotel had to stay closed for seven days.