(Combating new crown pneumonia) 802 confirmed cases in Hong Kong to review discharge conditions
China News Agency, Hong Kong, April 2 (Reporter Zeng Ping) The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Health Protection Center of the Hong Kong SAR Government reported on April 2 that there were 37 new confirmed cases of new pneumonia in Hong Kong, and the total number of confirmed cases increased to 802. The Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HA) said that it understands that there is a great need for isolation beds, and will review with experts whether to change the discharge conditions of patients.
Zhang Zhujun, director of the Infectious Diseases Division of the Center for Health Protection of the Department of Health, said that 37 newly diagnosed patients were aged between 2 and 71. Among them, 30 have travel history, including 17 foreign students, and a 2-year-old child with no symptoms who has been to Sweden with his family.
Zhang Zhujun mentioned that in the new case, a 64-year-old woman with a history of travelling went to a private hospital, the Hong Kong Baptist Hospital for vomiting on March 30, and stayed for about 10 hours. Lung infection was transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The CHP is following up the patient's ward contacts.
Zhang Zhujun pointed out that some of the 7 patients who had no travel history were related to earlier confirmed patients, including family members and colleagues of the confirmed patients. In addition, one patient with unknown source of infection had visited various bars in Yau Ma Tei, Causeway Bay and other places; another patient with unknown source of infection worked in a beauty salon in Causeway Bay.
Liu Jiaxian, Chief Administrative Manager (Quality and Standards) of the Hospital Authority, said that as of 12:00 noon on the day, a total of 604 confirmed patients had been hospitalized, of which 8 were critically ill, 8 were serious, and 588 were stable; The utilization rates were 68% and 78%, respectively. As of 3 pm on the day, 4 confirmed patients were waiting to be sent to hospital. A total of 154 people have been discharged from Hong Kong.
Liu Jiaxian mentioned that a nurse who had gone to London at Tuen Mun Hospital found a preliminary positive test for the new crown virus during home isolation. The nurse is asymptomatic and has been on leave since March 9. She had worked in the medical ward before taking the leave and had not been in an isolation ward for those diagnosed.
As the number of confirmed patients increases, the load on public hospitals is receiving more attention. Liu Jiaxian said that the Hospital Authority will do its best to send waiting confirmed patients to the hospital. The second-line isolation wards that will be opened one after another this week require manual arrangements. There is no data on transferred patients. As for the arrangement of temporary isolation, all possible places will be considered, and no plan has been determined for the time being.
Regarding whether it is possible to relax the discharge conditions of confirmed patients, Liu Jiaxian said that the current safe approach to 24 hours interval and negative nasopharyngeal secretion test is to follow international standards. He pointed out that he understands that there is a great need for isolation beds, and he and experts will review whether to change the discharge conditions, including referring to the latest scientific evidence from different places around the world to see when the virus level will be so low that it will not be transmitted. (Finish)