Coronavirus: when will Hong Kong’s fourth wave of Covid-19 hit? Very soon, experts warn
- Sick travellers, untraceable local cases could combine to trigger next spike in infections
- More people urged to get flu jabs this year to avoid complications dealing with Covid-19
A fourth wave of Covid-19 infections is looming in Hong Kong, experts say. In the first of a three-part series, the Post looks at when and why a spike in infections is expected and how the flu season can get in the way of containing the coronavirus.
Hong Kong is on the brink of a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections because of a combination of factors, from untraceable cases in the community, to sick travellers slipping past checks, and the looming flu season, health experts warn.
They worry that as Hong Kong eases pandemic travel restrictions and allows more visitors, undetected imported infections will set off another spike in cases especially if they combine with untraceable ones in the city.
Experts are in favour of a massive flu vaccination campaign this year, because dealing with a surge in Covid-19 infections could become complicated if winter brings a sharp increase in cases of flu.
“I am a bit worried that our fourth wave might start sooner than we were hoping,” said Professor Benjamin Cowling, head of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Hong Kong’s school of public health.
Hong Kong has already been hit by three waves of the coronavirus since early this year. More than 120 people were infected in the first round, which began in January, and over 640 people in the second, which started in March. There were seven deaths in those two waves.