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| 4 of the 6 positive cases from the universal testing are previous infections (promo photo) |
Six out of the first 128,000 people tested under Hong Kong ’s mass screening for Covid-19 tested positive
yesterday, according to the city’s health officials. But four of the patients
were previously infected and were not considered as new cases.
These are separate from the eight new cases reported today,
Sept. 3, which included a 63-year-old woman who was found infected only after
she died alone in her house in Shek Kip Mei.
They brought the city’s total tally to 4,839, but with only
279 still being treated in hospital.
Director of Health Constance Chan reported the initial result from the universal community testing which kicked off on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at today’s press briefing.
She said that as of 1pm today, about 850,000 had already
registered for the mass screening. Of these, 370,000 had already been tested,
but most of the samples are still being analysed in laboratories.
Dr Chan repeated the call for the public to join the scheme
“to identify the silent carriers, (or) the asymptomatic patients to cut off the
transmission chain in the community.”
Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said
that the four detected as infected from the universal screening had just been
released from hospital after testing negative for the virus, and were found to
have developed antibodies.
Three of them volunteered to be tested again to get
reassurance, while the fourth signed up at the request of her company, prior to
her being allowed to resume work.
The two new cases included a 63-year-old man who had stopped
working in June, and mostly stayed at his home in Kwai Tsing with his wife and
other family members. He sometimes visited the wet markets in Sham Shui Po and
Mei Foo.
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| A pattern has emerged of elderly patients whose main activities include going to wet markets |
The other patient is a 22-year-old woman who is unemployed
and lives with her family in Siu Hong estate in Tuen Mun. She said she had
dined from time to time during the incubation period, but could not remember
the details.
Chuang said the patients will be given case numbers tomorrow, when they will be included in the list of new infections.
Of today’s cases, only one is imported. It involves a
seafarer who flew into Hong Kong from India
via Doha , Qatar
Four are of unknown source, including the woman who lived
alone and was found positive during a post-mortem.
Chuang said inquiries revealed that the woman had consulted
a doctor on Aug 28, complaining of swollen legs. The patient was diagnosed with
hypertension and referred to a specialist, but she did not go.
Her family members called police when they could not contact
her, and she was found dead at home. Lung tissue sample taken from her body
during an autopsy at a public mortuary tested positive for Covid-19.
The three untraceable cases include a 66-year-old man who
sold Chinese medicine in Yau Ma Tei and lives with his wife in Sau Mau Ping; a
74-year-old woman who lives in Oi Man Estate in Homantin; and a 63-year-old
woman who lives in Shek Kip Mei.
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Chuang said all the cases fitted the usual pattern of
elderly people, mostly retirees, who did not socialize much, and whose
activities mainly consisted of buying food in wet markets. While wet markets
may not be the source of the infection, she said the large number of people who
gather there could be a risk factor.
The linked cases included two family members, and another
carer at Hong Chi hostel for the mentally disabled in Lei Muk Shue, Tsuen Wan,
where more than 20 cases have been detected so far.
Today’s eight cases matched the previous day’s number, which
was the lowest since July 3.
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