Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said earlier this month that in the event of a large-scale outbreak of the Omicron variant, the supply of quarantine rooms would be tight and the government might consider allowing home quarantine for close contacts. The current rapid spread suggests we may reach that threshold any day. Foreseeing the need for home quarantine, we at the Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC) at the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong have conducted relevant research and formulated guidelines for local use. Equipping the public with basic knowledge on how to quarantine at home and highlighting any potential difficulties can help us stay one step ahead of the unfolding pandemic. To gauge the community’s preparedness for home quarantine, CCOUC conducted two territory-wide, random-digit-dialling telephone surveys in March and December 2020, interviewing 765 and 651 adults aged 18 or above, respectively. The biggest concern among respondents was that home quarantine would cause tension among family members and neighbours. In the two surveys, 80.4 per cent and 75.7 per cent of people were worried about being infected by home-quarantined family members, while 53.9 per cent and 48.4 per cent were worried about being discriminated against by neighbours because a household member was under home quarantine. Conversely, 79.7 per cent and 76.7 per cent said they would avoid contact with all members of their neighbour’s household if one person was under home quarantine, while 33.9 per cent and 34.6 per cent would avoid contact with their neighbours even after the quarantine period ended. The survey also revealed a lack of knowledge of how to handle home quarantine. More than one third (35.2 per cent and 41.5 per cent) of the respondents had no basic knowledge of how to take care of patients with common infectious diseases such as flu, and 77.9 per cent admitted to having no basic knowledge of how to care for suspected Covid-19 patients in a follow-up question in the second survey. Resources needed for home quarantine might also be inadequate. For example, more than one-third (34.6 per cent and 37.6 per cent) did not have separate rooms at home for quarantine, and only about half (51.9 per cent and 65.3 per cent) had enough gloves to cope with a two-week home quarantine. In an attempt to narrow current gaps in knowledge, CCOUC has developed home care guidelines based on the advice of the World Health Organization, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection. The government needs to provide more information and support before launching home quarantine. Moreover, to reduce the potential health risks of taking care of home-quarantined family members, it is more urgent than ever for the public to get vaccinated. Chi Shing Wong, Kevin Kei Ching Hung and Emily Ying Yang Chan, Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response Children who lost their hamsters must be allowed to grieve Members of the public have struggled to come to terms with the killing of 2,000 hamsters for pandemic control. It is emotionally and psychologically taxing, particularly for those who own pets, and especially children. Parents and families need to pay attention to children’s emotions. Children tend to be heavily invested in their pets and are deeply attached to them. Grief resulting from the loss of a pet has to be addressed with empathy and the necessary support. Parents should communicate with their children sensitively and give them space to express the full range of emotions, including sadness, grief, disappointment and anger. Let them know that sorrow and grief are normal and natural responses to the death of a loved one. They should not feel ashamed. However, there are healthy ways to cope with the pain. For example, parents could support their children by holding a memorial, planting a seed in memory of their pet, or compiling a photo album or scrapbook to share precious memories. This could help them celebrate the life of their pet. If their grief is persistent and interferes with their ability to function, parents should seek professional assistance to help the child heal. Children are an integral part of our community. We need to talk to children about the ups and downs of the pandemic, the challenges facing the public, and the difficult decisions that often need to be made by the government to protect public health. If a government spokesperson could take the time to explain the recent action in a child-friendly way, it would help children understand that their voices are heard and their pain understood. Billy Wong, executive secretary, Hong Kong Committee on Children’s Rights If humans can be isolated, hamsters should be too I am fourth grader writing to tell the government that killing 2,000 hamsters just because a few dozen hamsters tested positive for the Covid-19 virus is wrong. Hamsters have feelings too but just can’t express them. Since we isolate human beings who have Covid-19, can’t we do the same for these small animals? We could create a pet quarantine where animals could be tested, isolated if they are found to have Covid-19, and released once they recover. Animals that test negative should be released at once. Aren’t things bad enough for children having to be home-schooled and being unable to see our families outside Hong Kong due to the 21-day quarantine policy? Abhirami Sahaana Arunachalam, Mid-Levels Renovation noise an obstacle to home schooling To add to the absurdity of everything else going on in Hong Kong, where so many businesses have had to close, where there’s the culling of hamsters and many being asked to work from home, the constant drilling and banging from flats being renovated is permitted to carry on regardless. Guess this is to prove that Hong Kong’s “can do” spirit is alive and well, never mind how this noise pollution affects people, especially children unable to go to school. Hans Ebert, Wan Chai