Coronavirus: Hong Kong records single-digit count in new infections for second straight day with five cases, but slowdown linked with testing lull over Easter
- Downward trend in new infections reflected in analysis of two weeks of coronavirus data, but experts say it is too early to declare breakthrough
- Five new cases push Hong Kong total to 1,009 as authorities admit problem in hospital system used to prevent contaminated air escaping from Covid-19 wards
While the downward trend in infections over the past two weeks was clearly reflected in data analysed by the Post, health officials and experts said it was still too early to confirm a definite turnaround, and a new problem was reported at a major public hospital where a negative pressure system for isolating Covid-19 patients malfunctioned for half an hour.
With Hong Kong's infected total at 1,009, Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, from Chinese University, said the city could only claim victory in the Covid-19 battle if reported daily cases were in the single digits for four weeks, equivalent to two incubation periods, as another expert pointed to sudden infection surges elsewhere as a warning against complacency.
“Singapore’s example has reminded us that the epidemic can change rapidly within a short span of time,” said University of Hong Kong microbiologist Dr Ho Pak-leung, referring to the 233 fresh cases recorded in the city state on Sunday.
The Post’s review of official data showed daily confirmed infections had dropped from 65 on March 27 to five on Monday, while the number recorded as displaying symptoms, a measure which provides a more up-to-date indication of Covid-19 patient figures, peaked at 44 on March 19 before falling to single digits from April 4.
Some 18 per cent of those confirmed as infected in Hong Kong did not show any symptoms, the analysis revealed, which is lower than the 25 per cent reported by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States.