Hong Kong: hong kong‘zero stubbornness’ covid infection has increased the hospital and quarantine Facilities in the global financial center close to its limits, raising the near-term prospect of a change in entry and isolation policies.
Chinese-ruled Hong Kong is also grappling with overloads on doctors and nurses as it follows a strategy from mainland authorities, unlike many other places, aimed at “living with COVID”.
Despite the condition of only a handful of COVID-19 patients being critical, some hospitals are already overcrowded, with most suffering little more than a sore throat. Asymptomatic patients and close contacts take beds in quarantine.
Medical experts are also concerned about the expected increase in infections that could dramatically increase serious infections, particularly among the largely non-vaccinated elderly.
“There is a need for practical adjustment of discharge criteria to ensure that completely asymptomatic individuals do not take up valuable bed space,” said Siddhartha Sridhar, Professor, Department of Microbiology. University of Hong Kong,
Officials were able to control the virus with widespread testing for the past two years, including pets such as hamsters, as well as mandatory hospital admissions and isolation for thousands of infected residents and close contacts.
That changed this year with the advent of the more permeable Omicron version. Daily cases are at record highs, a 10-fold increase in February, when many celebrations marked the beginning of the Lunar New Year.
Now many public hospitals are full, and infected patients have to wait several days to be admitted. And the worst is yet to come: Some experts predict about 30,000 cases every day by the end of March, up from 1,000 now.
Hospital beds for COVID-19 patients are at 90% occupancy, data from the city’s hospital authority showed, while isolation facilities were also close to maximum.
“Accident and emergency departments have to deal with large numbers of patients,” said a spokesman for the hospital authority, adding that facilities were “nearly saturated” at current occupancy rates.
capacity constraints
Officials this week said measures to prevent community transmission would be changed to isolate close contacts at home, while those without symptoms could stay in government quarantine facilities, designated hotels or at home.
Previously, Hong Kong hospitalized asymptomatic patients and ordered weeks of isolation for close and secondary contacts in sparse government quarantine facilities in an effort to prevent community transactions.
Officials said they are trying to figure out how to deal with the deteriorating situation.
“I cannot deny that the hospital authority faces many challenges, be it the number of beds or its manpower,” said its chief manager, Larry Lee.
Some epidemiologists have suggested allowing incoming visitors to isolate at home, freeing up designated quarantine hotels for patients with mild symptoms.
If the situation worsens, the authorities may allot beds and quarantine space depending on the severity of symptoms and the need. Eventually, some patients with more severe symptoms may need to monitor their condition at home.
For now, contact tracing is on, but testing capacity has also been increased.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been mandated to be tested, with the elderly and children queuing for hours in cramped spaces outside testing centres, putting fans at risk of infection.
China this week promised help, testing kits and aid to build another quarantine facility on Hong Kong’s wish list.
But Hong Kong’s low vaccination rate among the elderly is most likely to overwhelm its medical system and thwart its goal of zero COVID.
“The top priority right now is getting vaccinated in older people,” said Ben Cowling, professor of epidemiology. University of Hong Kong,
“We know we’re going to face more infections. We know it’s already a little late. Still, it’s better to be late than earlier.”
Chinese-ruled Hong Kong is also grappling with overloads on doctors and nurses as it follows a strategy from mainland authorities, unlike many other places, aimed at “living with COVID”.
Despite the condition of only a handful of COVID-19 patients being critical, some hospitals are already overcrowded, with most suffering little more than a sore throat. Asymptomatic patients and close contacts take beds in quarantine.
Medical experts are also concerned about the expected increase in infections that could dramatically increase serious infections, particularly among the largely non-vaccinated elderly.
“There is a need for practical adjustment of discharge criteria to ensure that completely asymptomatic individuals do not take up valuable bed space,” said Siddhartha Sridhar, Professor, Department of Microbiology. University of Hong Kong,
Officials were able to control the virus with widespread testing for the past two years, including pets such as hamsters, as well as mandatory hospital admissions and isolation for thousands of infected residents and close contacts.
That changed this year with the advent of the more permeable Omicron version. Daily cases are at record highs, a 10-fold increase in February, when many celebrations marked the beginning of the Lunar New Year.
Now many public hospitals are full, and infected patients have to wait several days to be admitted. And the worst is yet to come: Some experts predict about 30,000 cases every day by the end of March, up from 1,000 now.
Hospital beds for COVID-19 patients are at 90% occupancy, data from the city’s hospital authority showed, while isolation facilities were also close to maximum.
“Accident and emergency departments have to deal with large numbers of patients,” said a spokesman for the hospital authority, adding that facilities were “nearly saturated” at current occupancy rates.
capacity constraints
Officials this week said measures to prevent community transmission would be changed to isolate close contacts at home, while those without symptoms could stay in government quarantine facilities, designated hotels or at home.
Previously, Hong Kong hospitalized asymptomatic patients and ordered weeks of isolation for close and secondary contacts in sparse government quarantine facilities in an effort to prevent community transactions.
Officials said they are trying to figure out how to deal with the deteriorating situation.
“I cannot deny that the hospital authority faces many challenges, be it the number of beds or its manpower,” said its chief manager, Larry Lee.
Some epidemiologists have suggested allowing incoming visitors to isolate at home, freeing up designated quarantine hotels for patients with mild symptoms.
If the situation worsens, the authorities may allot beds and quarantine space depending on the severity of symptoms and the need. Eventually, some patients with more severe symptoms may need to monitor their condition at home.
For now, contact tracing is on, but testing capacity has also been increased.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been mandated to be tested, with the elderly and children queuing for hours in cramped spaces outside testing centres, putting fans at risk of infection.
China this week promised help, testing kits and aid to build another quarantine facility on Hong Kong’s wish list.
But Hong Kong’s low vaccination rate among the elderly is most likely to overwhelm its medical system and thwart its goal of zero COVID.
“The top priority right now is getting vaccinated in older people,” said Ben Cowling, professor of epidemiology. University of Hong Kong,
“We know we’re going to face more infections. We know it’s already a little late. Still, it’s better to be late than earlier.”
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