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HK reports 7,596 Covid cases, over 20,000 patients received oral drugs
Hong Kong reported 7,596 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, as health authorities said public hospitals have prescribed the two available anti-Covid oral drugs to more than 20,000 patients.
Among the newly reported cases, 3,164 were confirmed through PCR tests, including two imported cases, and 4,432 cases were positive rapid antigen test results reported by citizens.
The Centre for Health Protection's head of communicable diseases, Chuang Shuk-kwan, noted that the caseload of the fifth wave of the pandemic now stands at 1,131,157.
The Hospital Authority's chief manager for patient safety and risk manager, Sara Ho Yuen-ha, said as of March 28, public hospitals have prescribed the two oral Covid medications to more than 20,000 patients.
She said doctors only considered whether the drug was appropriate for the patient when making prescriptions.
"Due to a large number of confirmed inpatients at the beginning, hospitals first arranged Molnupiravir for them. They started to prescribe the drugs to residents of elderly care homes from March 4," she said.
The HA started the prescription of Paxlovid on March 16, and both drugs are now available at public hospitals, community treatment facilities, designated clinics, and elderly care homes.
In addition to public hospitals, oral drugs are now also available at private hospitals, among which 13 have prescribed the drugs to their patients.
"The government is discussing with the medical industry on whether more private doctors can be allowed to prescribe Covid drugs to patients," she said.
The Hospital Authority reported 151 deaths aged 43 to 106 on Tuesday. Of them, 129 were logged in public hospitals in the past 24 hours, including 78 men and 51 women aged 50 to 106.
Fifty-nine of them were residents of elderly homes, 83 had no vaccination record, and 123 were elderly aged above 65. Chuang also reported 20 deaths from last weekend due to delayed results, involving 13 men and 7 women aged 43 to 94.
The death tally of the fifth wave now stands at 7,358. A total of 1,253 recovered patients were discharged from public hospitals yesterday.
Chuang said the remaining two deaths were reported by CUHK Medical Centre, both of whom were unvaccinated and referred by public hospitals.
The 89-year-old male patient with chronic disease tested positive on March 5 and was transferred to CUHK Medical Centre on March 16. His test results turned negative on March 27, but he died of bacterial pneumonia.
Another 106-year-old female patient who suffered from chronic renal failure tested positive on March 15. She was transferred to CUHK Medical Centre on March 21 and passed away on March 28.
The Centre for Health Protection's head of communicable diseases, Chuang Shuk-kwan, noted that the caseload of the fifth wave of the pandemic now stands at 1,131,157.
The Hospital Authority's chief manager for patient safety and risk manager, Sara Ho Yuen-ha, said as of March 28, public hospitals have prescribed the two oral Covid medications to more than 20,000 patients.
She said doctors only considered whether the drug was appropriate for the patient when making prescriptions.
"Due to a large number of confirmed inpatients at the beginning, hospitals first arranged Molnupiravir for them. They started to prescribe the drugs to residents of elderly care homes from March 4," she said.
The HA started the prescription of Paxlovid on March 16, and both drugs are now available at public hospitals, community treatment facilities, designated clinics, and elderly care homes.
In addition to public hospitals, oral drugs are now also available at private hospitals, among which 13 have prescribed the drugs to their patients.
"The government is discussing with the medical industry on whether more private doctors can be allowed to prescribe Covid drugs to patients," she said.
The Hospital Authority reported 151 deaths aged 43 to 106 on Tuesday. Of them, 129 were logged in public hospitals in the past 24 hours, including 78 men and 51 women aged 50 to 106.
Fifty-nine of them were residents of elderly homes, 83 had no vaccination record, and 123 were elderly aged above 65. Chuang also reported 20 deaths from last weekend due to delayed results, involving 13 men and 7 women aged 43 to 94.
The death tally of the fifth wave now stands at 7,358. A total of 1,253 recovered patients were discharged from public hospitals yesterday.
Chuang said the remaining two deaths were reported by CUHK Medical Centre, both of whom were unvaccinated and referred by public hospitals.
The 89-year-old male patient with chronic disease tested positive on March 5 and was transferred to CUHK Medical Centre on March 16. His test results turned negative on March 27, but he died of bacterial pneumonia.
Another 106-year-old female patient who suffered from chronic renal failure tested positive on March 15. She was transferred to CUHK Medical Centre on March 21 and passed away on March 28.
