ExclusiveCoronavirus: Hong Kong virologist calls for wide-scale antibody testing aimed at detecting city’s true number of Covid-19 cases

An infection percentage that includes asymptomatic cases would offer firmer ground for government decisions about scaling the economy back up

‘The only way to find out how big the iceberg is by serological testing,’ HKU’s Malik Peiris tells the Post

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Fresh blood testing aimed at uncovering Hong Kong’s asymptomatic carriers of Covid-19 is necessary to give us a more complete understanding of the situation HKU’s Malik Peiris told the Post in a recent interview. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 8:00am, 6 Apr 2020Updated: 8:31am, 6 Apr 2020

A large-scale antibody study should be carried out to gauge the true number of Covid-19 infections in Hong Kong, information that would allow the government to make better-informed policy decisions, a veteran virologist has urged.

The recent return of Hongkongers from overseas has fuelled a rise in the number of cases to close to 900, but Malik Peiris, chair professor of virology at the University of Hong Kong, told the Post he believes the actual number could be higher, and called on the government to offer stronger support for research.

His call comes as the administration has been criticised for its indecision and lateness in closing down hotspots like pubs and mahjong parlours to contain the spread of local infections.

Peiris said many infected with Covid-19 had mild symptoms or even none, and therefore have not been detected by the health care system.

“The only way to find out how big the iceberg is by serological testing,” he said in recent interview.

HKU’s Professor Malik Peiris called on the Hong Kong government to make cash available for coronavirus-specific research in an exclusive interview with the Post. Photo: SCMP