The new crown epidemic has been lingering in Hong Kong for nearly three years. The Hong Kong government has been using methods such as mandatory building inspections and enclosing inspections to identify invisible patients in the community. However, Ho Pak-leung, director of the Center for Infection and Infectious Diseases of the University of Hong Kong, said on the radio program today (12th) that the current epidemic situation is serious, and confirmed patients can be isolated at home, that is, the authorities have accepted the building or there may be transmission, so it is recommended to cancel the mandatory testing in buildings and Enclosed inspection.
Ho explained that mandatory testing in buildings played a more important role in the early stage of the epidemic, which might cut off the chain of transmission as soon as possible in the crowded environment in Hong Kong. However, at present, there are 70,000 to 80,000 new confirmed cases in Hong Kong every week, and using sewage testing as an indicator to control the epidemic “has no effect.” In addition, the government has allowed people infected with the virus to conduct home quarantine, which means that the authorities have accepted the possibility of vertical or horizontal transmission in buildings, and believe that the risk is controllable. Therefore, he believes that mandatory building inspections and enclosed mandatory inspections should be cancelled to avoid aggravating the public’s anti-epidemic. fatigue.
In addition, in terms of injections, He Bailiang believes that the focus of Hong Kong’s anti-epidemic work is still vaccination. He said that the vaccination rate of adults is high, and the risk of severe illness following infection is similar to that of influenza. Therefore, the government should try to increase the vaccination rate of the elderly to avoid “one size fits all” affecting other people who have been vaccinated. He also believes that from the end of this month, the grace period between the second and third injections for people aged 12 or over will be shortened to five months.
