Coronavirus: delay in isolating Hong Kong’s confirmed cases putting family members and close contacts at greater risk, researchers find
- Chinese University researchers find 90 per cent of cases in city delayed by almost seven days on average
- Assistant professor at university says imported cases from mainland had much shorter period between onset of symptoms and isolation of patient
Researchers have found that the isolation of 90 per cent of confirmed coronavirus cases in Hong Kong was being delayed by an average of 6½ days, putting family members and close contacts at greater risk of contracting Covid-19.
The team from Chinese University also found that only slightly more than half of 1,168 Hongkongers surveyed practised social distancing, while 12 out of 43 local infections were from unknown sources, posing challenges for contact tracing.
The results, announced on Tuesday, were based on research centred on the 56 confirmed cases in the city up to Saturday.
“Members of the public cannot take this outbreak lightly,” said assistant professor Kwok Kin-on from the university’s Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care at a press conference on Tuesday.
“People should practise stricter social distancing measures, particularly activities where you are in a confined space for a period of time, such as at karaoke or in a cinema,” Kwok added.