Coronavirus: Hong Kong confirms three new cases, of which one is untraceable N501Y mutation; nasal spray vaccine on horizon

HKU team conducting phase-one clinical trials, with product deemed safe so far, and babies as young as six months expected to also be covered once drug hits market

Fully vaccinated individuals will only need one dose of inhaled version, while the unvaccinated will require two doses

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Medical staff at a building lockdown earlier this week. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 12:25pm, 24 Apr 2021Updated: 9:02pm, 24 Apr 2021

A nasal spray Covid-19 vaccine being developed by the University of Hong Kong could be available on the market in two to three years, one of its researchers has said, with ongoing clinical trials so far showing the product to be safe.

The city on Saturday also confirmed three new coronavirus cases, one of which involved the Filipino domestic helper who tested preliminary-positive on Friday and was confirmed late that night as having the N501Y mutation. The other two cases were also local, and linked to previous infections.

The 38-year-old helper, who arrived in Hong Kong late last month, was the city’s third locally detected Covid-19 case involving the more infectious mutant strain.

She was believed to have contracted the variant that was first identified in South Africa, according to Professor Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, a government adviser on the city’s Covid-19 vaccination drive.

About 60 residents of the building where the woman lived, at Kennedy Terrace in the Mid-Levels, were sent to quarantine on Friday night.

The city’s total number of confirmed infections now stands at 11,730, with 209 related deaths.