February 11 2022 - 12:00
Hong Kong's zero-Covid quest pushes medical facilities to the brink
Hong Kong's stubborn pursuit of zero Covid infections has stretched hospital and quarantine facilities nearly to their limit in the global financial hub, raising the near-term prospect of changes to admissions and isolation policies.
Chinese-ruled Hong Kong is also grappling with the overload on doctors and nurses as it follows mainland authorities' strategy of curbing outbreaks as soon as possible, in contrast with many other places that aim to "live with Covid".
Despite only a handful of Covid-19 patients being in critical condition, some hospitals are already full, mostly with people suffering little more than a sore throat. Asymptomatic patients and close contacts take up beds in quarantine.
Medical experts are also worried about an expected surge of infections that could dramatically increase severe infections, especially among the largely-unvaccinated elderly."
Pragmatic adjustment of discharge criteria is required to ensure that completely asymptomatic individuals don't take up valuable bed space," said Siddharth Sridhar, a professor in the microbiology department of the University of Hong Kong.
Authorities had been able to control the virus for the past two years with extensive testing, including of 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 arrival of the more transmissible Omicron variant. Daily cases are at record highs, having increased 10-fold in February, when many celebrations ushered in the Lunar New Year.
Now several public hospitals are full, and infected patients have to wait days to be admitted. And the worst is yet to come: some experts predict nearly 30,000 cases each day by the end of March from just over 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 nearing their maximum.
"Accident and emergency departments have to deal with a large number of patients," said a spokesman for the Hospital Authority, adding that current occupancy rates had "almost saturated" facilities.
This week officials said measures to prevent community transmission would be changed to let close contacts isolate at home while people with no symptoms could stay in government quarantine facilities, designated hotels or at home.
Earlier, Hong Kong used to hospitalise even asymptomatic patients and order weeks of isolation for close and secondary contacts in sparse government quarantine facilities in the effort to stop community transaction.
Authorities said they were trying to figure out how best to tackle the worsening situation.
"I can't deny that the Hospital Authority faces a number of challenges, whether it's the number of beds or its manpower," said its chief manager, Larry Lee.
Some epidemiologists have suggested allowing arriving visitors to isolate at home, so as to free up designated quarantine hotels for patients with mild symptoms.
If the situation worsens, authorities could allot beds and quarantine space on the basis of severity of symptoms and need. Eventually, some patients with more serious symptoms may have to monitor their condition at home.
For now, contact tracing is full on, but testing capacity is also stretched.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been mandated for tests, with elderly and children queuing for hours in tight spaces outside testing centres, which fans infection risks.
China pledged help this week, with testing kits and assistance to build another quarantine facility high on Hong Kong's wish list.
But the low vaccination rate among Hong Kong's elderly is the threat most likely to overwhelm its medical system, and frustrate the goal of zero Covid.
"The top priority right now is to get vaccinates in older people," said Ben Cowling, an epidemiology professor at Hong Kong University."
We know we’re going to face more infections. We know it’s already a little bit late. Still, late is better than never."
Reuters
COVID-19 WRAP | Gauteng records more than 1,000 of SA's 2,800 new Covid-19 cases: NICD
Image: Louise Delmotte/Bloomberg
February 11 2022 - 19:20
Gauteng records more than 1,000 of SA's 2,800 new Covid-19 cases: NICD
SA recorded 2,862 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 days, taking the total number of people to have been infected to date to 3,637,673.
Of the new cases, 1,095 were in Gauteng. No other province saw more than 500 new infections in the past day, with the Western Cape recording 472, KwaZulu-Natal 329 and Mpumalanga 329.
Figures released by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases also showed that there were 146 Covid-19 related deaths recorded in the past day. The bulk of the cases were historical deaths included as a result of an ongoing audit, with eight occurring in the past 24 to 48 hours.
February 11 2022 - 14:00
France eases indoor mask wearing rules
In public places in France where entry is subject to the Covid-19 vaccine pass people will no longer have to wear masks indoors, the health ministry said in a statement on Friday.
It said masks will remain mandatory in public transport and in indoor places not subject to the vaccine pass.
The new rule - which takes effect on February 28 - is in line with a health council recommendation and follows a slowdown of the Covid-19 infection rate.
Reuters
February 11 2022 - 13:17
EU regulator reviewing menstrual disorder cases after mRNA Covid shots
The European Medicines Agency's safety committee said on Friday it was reviewing reports of heavy menstrual bleeding and absence of menstruation with Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.
The assessment is in view of reports of menstrual disorders with both vaccines, and it is not yet clear whether there is a causal link between the Covid-19 vaccines and the reports, the agency said.
Reuters
February 11 2022 - 12:00
Hong Kong's zero-Covid quest pushes medical facilities to the brink
Hong Kong's stubborn pursuit of zero Covid infections has stretched hospital and quarantine facilities nearly to their limit in the global financial hub, raising the near-term prospect of changes to admissions and isolation policies.
Chinese-ruled Hong Kong is also grappling with the overload on doctors and nurses as it follows mainland authorities' strategy of curbing outbreaks as soon as possible, in contrast with many other places that aim to "live with Covid".
Despite only a handful of Covid-19 patients being in critical condition, some hospitals are already full, mostly with people suffering little more than a sore throat. Asymptomatic patients and close contacts take up beds in quarantine.
Medical experts are also worried about an expected surge of infections that could dramatically increase severe infections, especially among the largely-unvaccinated elderly."
Pragmatic adjustment of discharge criteria is required to ensure that completely asymptomatic individuals don't take up valuable bed space," said Siddharth Sridhar, a professor in the microbiology department of the University of Hong Kong.
Authorities had been able to control the virus for the past two years with extensive testing, including of 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 arrival of the more transmissible Omicron variant. Daily cases are at record highs, having increased 10-fold in February, when many celebrations ushered in the Lunar New Year.
Now several public hospitals are full, and infected patients have to wait days to be admitted. And the worst is yet to come: some experts predict nearly 30,000 cases each day by the end of March from just over 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 nearing their maximum.
"Accident and emergency departments have to deal with a large number of patients," said a spokesman for the Hospital Authority, adding that current occupancy rates had "almost saturated" facilities.
This week officials said measures to prevent community transmission would be changed to let close contacts isolate at home while people with no symptoms could stay in government quarantine facilities, designated hotels or at home.
Earlier, Hong Kong used to hospitalise even asymptomatic patients and order weeks of isolation for close and secondary contacts in sparse government quarantine facilities in the effort to stop community transaction.
Authorities said they were trying to figure out how best to tackle the worsening situation.
"I can't deny that the Hospital Authority faces a number of challenges, whether it's the number of beds or its manpower," said its chief manager, Larry Lee.
Some epidemiologists have suggested allowing arriving visitors to isolate at home, so as to free up designated quarantine hotels for patients with mild symptoms.
If the situation worsens, authorities could allot beds and quarantine space on the basis of severity of symptoms and need. Eventually, some patients with more serious symptoms may have to monitor their condition at home.
For now, contact tracing is full on, but testing capacity is also stretched.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been mandated for tests, with elderly and children queuing for hours in tight spaces outside testing centres, which fans infection risks.
China pledged help this week, with testing kits and assistance to build another quarantine facility high on Hong Kong's wish list.
But the low vaccination rate among Hong Kong's elderly is the threat most likely to overwhelm its medical system, and frustrate the goal of zero Covid.
"The top priority right now is to get vaccinates in older people," said Ben Cowling, an epidemiology professor at Hong Kong University."
We know we’re going to face more infections. We know it’s already a little bit late. Still, late is better than never."
Reuters
February 11 2022 - 11:28
Special Tribunal orders Covid school cleaning companies to pay back profits after R6m job ballooned to R431m
The selection and appointment by the Gauteng education department of companies to decontaminate, disinfect and sanitise schools was done in a haphazard, unfair and inequitable manner.
This saw the cost of the services balloon from an estimated R6.1m to R431m spent.
The Special Tribunal made these findings on Thursday when it reviewed and set aside the department’s decisions to appoint 49 companies for the task in 2020 after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
February 11 2022 - 09:15
Hong Kong food supply at risk again as more drivers get Covid-19
More truck drivers responsible for transporting food supplies into Hong Kong have tested positive for coronavirus at the mainland China border, sparking concerns that the city may be hit by another round of fresh-food shortages.
Nine cross-border drivers have tested positive since Feb. 4, including two on Thursday, according to a statement by border control authorities in the mainland city of Shenzhen. All places visited by the two drivers were disinfected and the local government has informed Hong Kong about the cases, it said.
February 11 2022 - 07:00
Is working from home good for my health?
While working from home can come with a lot of benefits, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) have pointed out that a lack of proper planning and organisation could lead to isolation, burnout, depression, domestic violence and musculoskeletal injuries.
Other possible injuries include eye strain, increased smoking, alcohol consumption, prolonged sitting, and screen time and unhealthy weight gain.
According to the organisations, a change to protect workers' health is crucial.
February 11 2022 - 06:00
South Korea tells patients with mild Covid symptoms to treat themselves
South Korea has said patients with mild Covid-19 symptoms will have to treat themselves, aiming to free up medical resources for more serious cases.
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