(抗击新冠肺炎)香港医学专家：须尽快降低社区人流 避免疫情海啸式暴发

　　中新社香港2月5日电 (记者 韩星童)随着传播力极强的变异病毒株奥密克戎在社区传播，香港第五波疫情扩散迅速，单日阳性病例数字屡创新高，2月5日达351宗。香港多位医学专家对中新社表示，逆转疫情的关键在于尽快降低社区人流，并配合全民检测，避免疫情海啸式暴发。

资料图：1月22日，香港葵涌邨暴发新冠肺炎疫情，其中逸葵楼居民或访客的新冠病毒阳性及初步阳性病例约96宗。图为有居民登上救护车。 中新社记者 　陈永诺 摄

　　回顾本波疫情源头，由检疫酒店群组流出的病例，引发葵涌邨群组的大规模暴发。特区政府即时对葵涌邨部分大厦进行为期数日的“围封”强检行动，未能阻止部分病例渗入社区。紧随其后又是春节假期，“过年期间人流反而增加，市民很多节日活动，让病毒传播速度加快。”香港呼吸系统科专科医生梁子超坦言，病毒正在社区中极速扩散。

　　值得关注的是，本波疫情大多数本地病例怀疑涉及变异病毒株奥密克戎，这一病毒株传播力远超其他病毒株，潜伏期也短，约3至5天。

　　根据香港特区政府卫生署卫生防护中心总监徐乐坚4日公布的数字，至今累计近220宗病例源头不明。“按奥密克戎传播中位数1传7来计算，200宗源头不明的病例可感染1400宗病例，数天内可发生第二代传播，即1400宗病例的七倍，近万人感染。”香江智汇会长、医生周伯展相信，现时单日确诊的351宗病例或还只是一个“开始”。

　　面对传播速度极快的奥密克戎，香港医务委员会执照医生协会副会长唐继升相信，以往采取的“围封”强检截断社区隐形传播链的方法失败了。不仅如此，梁子超相信，传统的流行病学病例追踪方法也同样失效，“有的病例在一天内可感染家人和其他接触者。”

　　周伯展用了一个形象的比喻：病例如火头，以往做法是追着火头跑，哪里火起就赶紧灭火。显而易见的弊端是，永远在追着病毒跑，且越来越力不从心。“必须要走在病毒前，才能将防疫抗疫工作做好。”

　　In Liang Zichao's view, the key to preventing and controlling the epidemic in a short period of time is to quickly reduce the flow of people in the community, "reducing the scope of case tracking to the home environment, workplace, etc." He called on business groups, religious groups, etc. to stop everything Activities needed to allow most residents to stay at home so that the outbreak can be reversed as quickly as possible.

　　Both Zhou Bozhan and Tang Jisheng emphasized the importance of national testing, believing that this is the only and most effective way to cut off the invisible transmission chain.

　　In response to the fifth wave of the epidemic, the SAR government has distributed more than 600,000 rapid test kits for COVID-19 to residents in various districts through the Home Affairs Department, and the relevant procurement work is still intensifying.

Tang Jisheng emphasized that rapid test kits cannot replace universal testing, because this method is not mandatory and the results are not necessarily accurate.

　　Liang Zichao pointed out that another bottleneck in Hong Kong's epidemic prevention lies in the lack of epidemic prevention resources.

Once the epidemic prevention resources are unable to cope with the continuing deterioration of the epidemic, it means that the epidemic is about to get out of control.

He stressed that this tipping point must be avoided.

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