PUBLISHED ONFebruary 26, 2025 11:10 AMByCandice CaiHong Kong former actress Lee San San has revealed that she'd contracted the same flu virus believed to have claimed the life of Barbie Hsu.
San San's symptoms were severe and left her weak and unable to even go to the toilet by herself.
Recalling the harrowing experience in a YouTube interview published on Feb 21, the 47-year-old expressed hope that by sharing her story, others will take their illness more seriously.
San San, who won the 1996 Miss Hong Kong pageant and later signed with Hong Kong broadcaster TVB, shared that she'd originally intended to do a livestream on Jan 3.
However, she came down with a high fever that day, which spiked to 39.6 degrees Celsius.
San San, who'd largely disappeared from the public eye since 2017 due to her mental health, still considered pushing on with the programme.
However, her partner for the livestream advised her to take her condition seriously and head to the hospital.
Upon admission, San San's condition swiftly deteriorated.
"I wanted to go to the toilet but I couldn't, in the end I peed on the bed. It got worse the next day," said San San, stating as well that her blood oxygen level had dipped to 83 per cent at its lowest.
She was supposed to be warded in the intensive care unit but it was full, said San San. Her doctor managed to get her hooked up to a machine to increase her blood oxygen levels. However, she later came down with pneumonia.
Thankfully, she managed to turn the corner and was discharged from the hospital 13 days later.
San San shared that she had flashbacks of the traumatic episode when she learnt of Barbie Hsu's untimely passing. The 48-year-old Taiwanese host-actress had died of complications arising from the flu on Feb 2.
"I really want to warn people... When I saw [the news] I felt that fear, and at the same time a sense of regret. We were the Meteor Garden generation," said San San, referring to the 2001 idol drama that Barbie was best remembered for.
"I feel the need to tell everyone not to underestimate influenza. I had Influenza A and was in the same situation as Barbie," she added.
"If I wasn't in hospital, it would probably have been a big problem," she said.
She also shared: "When we were younger and caught a cold, we'd be okay after a few days... now, these symptoms cannot be ignored. Once you have a fever, you have to see a doctor."
Even her friends who are medical professionals had told her how lucky she was to survive.
"It was probable that I could've [died]... I bypassed that door," said San San, who said the incident is by far her most serious medical crisis.
She also shared in the same interview her struggles with panic disorder which made her fearful of stepping out of the house for close to seven years, turning her into a recluse.
San San, who once played Zoe Tay's love rival in the 2002 local drama Unbeatables 3, had opened up in a video back in 2019 about her mental health, garnering support from a slew of celebrities.
Despite the setbacks over the years, San San appears to have bounced back, returning to the limelight with the launch of her YouTube channel Mount Trio.
She also hasn't shut the door on finding love.
Responding to the interviewer's question on whether she would be open to dating, she quipped: "I welcome it, anytime."
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