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The fifth wave of the epidemic in Hong Kong is still heating up. Hong Kong reported 6,116 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in a single day on Thursday (February 17), a new high since the outbreak. In addition, 24 people died of the infection and there were about 6,300 preliminary positive cases. On Wednesday, there were more than 4,000 new cases in a single day.
Medical experts told the BBC Chinese that it is meaningless to discuss “clearing” or “coexisting with the virus” in the stage of rapid growth of the epidemic. The primary task is to reduce the number of new diagnoses and gradually bring the epidemic under control, but the measures to close the city have not been accepted. Effect.
The number of confirmed cases is still growing rapidly
The Hong Kong Center for Health Protection reported on Wednesday that 4,285 new cases of the new coronavirus were confirmed in a single day. Except for 21 imported cases, all the rest were local cases, and there were about 7,000 preliminary positive cases.
The Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection pointed out that the upward trend in the number of confirmed cases has not declined, and 20 residential care homes for the elderly or persons with disabilities have been infected.
Nine infected people died on Wednesday, including a 100-year-old female patient, a 3-year-old girl, and seven others ranging in age from 37 to 97 years old; 17 confirmed patients are in critical condition, and more than 2,600 confirmed patients are hospitalized.
The large-scale outbreak of the epidemic has led to a shortage of hospital beds and a large number of patients waiting to be admitted. As of Wednesday, about 12,000 confirmed and preliminary confirmed cases were awaiting admission to the hospital, RTHK quoted sources as saying. The Hong Kong Hospital Authority said that the utilization rate of isolation beds in public hospitals exceeded 90%, reaching the upper limit of acceptable patients.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said that the increase in confirmed cases has never been seen before, exceeding the carrying capacity of the SAR government’s isolation facilities. The SAR government will borrow newly completed public housing estates as isolation facilities, and will also requisition university dormitories and hotels.
Jin Dongyan, a professor and virologist at the Department of Biochemistry of the Li Ka Shing School of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, is not worried about the sharp rise in the number of confirmed cases. He pointed out that the vast majority of patients are mild or asymptomatic. “The situation is actually that there are many people who are initially diagnosed in the community, and he has recovered before he is really diagnosed.”
He believes that the Hong Kong medical system is not at risk of collapse. At present, more than 95% of patients do not need hospitalization. If a patient has difficulty breathing, needs oxygen, or has high-risk factors: old or very young, pregnant or If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, etc., you need to be admitted to the hospital.
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However, he pointed out that the number of confirmed cases is still some distance away from the highest point. If people with high viral loads who may cause super-spreading can be found, and these patients have not infected others, the epidemic will slowly come to an end; if these patients Still spread to a lot of people, or with a lot of people, and the outbreak will continue to spread.
Jin Dongyan said that the Hong Kong government has taken many measures, but many have not been implemented, including isolation facilities.
Xi Jinping’s instructions
Wen Wei Po and Ta Kung Pao reported on Wednesday that Chinese leader Xi Jinping issued instructions, emphasizing that the Hong Kong SAR government should earnestly assume the main responsibility, take stabilizing the epidemic situation as soon as possible as the current “overriding” task, and mobilize all forces that can be mobilized and resources, and take all necessary measures to ensure the life safety and physical health of Hong Kong citizens and to ensure the overall stability of Hong Kong society.
Chinese Vice Premier Han Zhengze instructed relevant central authorities and Guangdong Province to address the SAR government’s proposal to improve Hong Kong’s nucleic acid testing capabilities, support medical supplies such as rapid antigen test kits, assist in building community isolation and treatment facilities, and ensure the supply of daily necessities such as fresh food. Requests such as sending epidemic prevention experts to Hong Kong for guidance.
In addition, many media in Hong Kong reported that 15 people smuggled from Hong Kong’s Tung Chung Wharf to Zhuhai, and at least 4 people were diagnosed. The epidemic spread to Guangdong and Hunan provinces.
The Chenzhou Public Security Bureau in Hunan province reported two confirmed cases on Wednesday, saying the two entered the Doumen district of Zhuhai city in Guangdong province from Hong Kong through illegal means. The two have been placed on file for investigation by the local public security on suspicion of obstructing the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and other crimes.
Guangdong Province has issued an urgent notice, asking cities to strengthen prevention and control measures. The Doumen District and Jinwan District Epidemic Prevention and Control Command Office of Zhuhai City even issued a notice to encourage the public to report anti-smuggling and anti-smuggling clues, with a maximum reward of 100,000 yuan.
Lockdown and Clearing Discussion
The large-scale outbreak of the epidemic in Hong Kong led to rumors of a city closure, but Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said that there was no plan to close the city on a large scale, and the current anti-epidemic measures are still effective.
Jin Dongyan believes that the closure of the city is “absolutely unnecessary and absolutely ineffective.”
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He pointed out that if the city is closed, it will cause family outbreaks; from a practical point of view, there will also be many problems: Will patients with other diseases, such as tumor diseases and cardiovascular diseases, delay treatment? If citizens stay at home and cannot move around, who will provide the basic needs of life?
In addition to the closure of the city, Hong Kong society has also been discussing whether to adhere to the “dynamic zero” policy consistent with the mainland, or to turn to “coexistence with the virus” implemented by countries such as the United Kingdom and Singapore. Carrie Lam said that surrendering to the virus is not an option, and the SAR government still aims to “dynamically clear” the fifth wave of the epidemic.
Jin Dongyan believes that it is meaningless to discuss “dynamic clearing” or “coexistence with the virus” during the rapid outbreak of the epidemic.
“From the perspective of Hong Kong, whether it is ‘dynamic clearing’ or ‘coexisting with the virus’, the number of confirmed cases must be reduced so that the epidemic tends to be under control, or it can be reduced to an acceptable range. The discussion is whether to clear it or not.” Jin Dongyan said, “Now we are in a stage of rapid outbreak. Of course, we do not want everyone to be infected as much as possible, but we hope that the infection will be less and the harm caused will be reduced. Especially to treat the elderly, pregnant women, and children, and then hope that the overall scale will not be so large, if it is so large, it will be uncontrollable.”
Chen Xi, associate professor of global health policy and economics at Yale University, pointed out to the BBC Chinese that the surge in people’s epidemic prevention fatigue is worrying, which greatly reduces the implementation of various public health and epidemic prevention measures.
“I think that even if new anti-epidemic measures cannot be added, Hong Kong should maintain the existing measures as much as possible, and even if dynamic clearing is quite difficult or even impossible, as long as the spread of the virus can be slowed down to a certain extent through public health measures, it can give The response of the medical system will gain time and avoid the run on medical resources and heavy casualties.” Chen Xi said.
With more than 1,000 confirmed daily diagnoses, soaring vegetable prices and insisting on clearing, how do Hong Kong citizens view the severe epidemic
He pointed out that the Hong Kong health department should comprehensively estimate the peak hospitalization rate for maintaining the current epidemic prevention measures, and the extent to which it will exceed the capacity of the medical system, and make collaborative arrangements with the Chinese mainland health department on medical resource assistance as soon as possible, such as the transfer of critically ill patients. Patients, establish a makeshift hospital.
Chen Xi noticed that the number of vaccinations in Hong Kong has increased in recent days. He pointed out that resources should be concentrated to strengthen vaccination, especially for key groups, to reduce severe illness.
According to the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection, 84% of Hong Kong’s population is currently vaccinated with the first shot, and more than 74% with the second shot.
He said that the low vaccination rate of Hong Kong’s 70 to 79 and 80-year-old age groups is worrying. “Many nursing homes in Hong Kong have seen many cases of infection. Since the epidemic, the experience and lessons of developed countries in Europe and the United States have shown that nursing homes are the most important part of nursing homes. Focused places that will produce a lot of severe illness and death should focus resources to reduce this risk.”