Hong Kong News
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Friday, Apr 19, 2024
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HK sees 363 new Covid cases, over 27,000 prescribed with oral drugs
Hong Kong reported 363 new Covid-19 cases and added 10 related deaths as authorities said they have already distributed oral Covid drugs to over 27,000 patients.
Among the new cases, 190 were confirmed via PCR tests, and 173 were positive rapid antigen test results reported by citizens.
The Centre for Health Protection's Chuang Shuk-kwan also reported 25 imported cases, including 14 patients who arrived in Hong Kong on Friday -- two on flights CX798 and PR300, three on TR600, three on CX162, two on SQ894, two on EK384 and two on KL819.
The overall tally of the fifth wave of the pandemic outbreak now stands at 1,191,579, Chuang added.
A worker of an elderly home tested positive, while two students from two schools also saw their rapid antigen test results return positive.
Chuang said it was difficult to tell if Hong Kong was protected by an immunity barrier and expected the infection figures to rebound after relaxing social distancing measures. Authorities will closely monitor the situation, she also said.
Meanwhile, Hospital Authority's chief manager for quality and standards, Lau Ka-hin, pointed out that over 27,000 patients have been prescribed the two oral Covid drugs -- over 17,000 received the Molnupiravir developed by Merck & Co, and over 9,000 were given Paxlovid developed by Pfizer.
Lau also reported 10 more related deaths, pushing the city's death tally to 9,095. The death rate now stands at 0.76 percent.
The 10 new deaths were all logged in public hospitals on Friday, including five men and five women aged between 58 and 94. Three were residents of elderly homes, and six had no vaccination record. Eight of them were aged 65 or above, Lau added.
He spoke of the case of a 58-year-old woman who was comparatively younger. The deceased patient suffered from breast cancer and was admitted to hospital on April 12 due to difficulties in breathing and increased heart rate.
The result of her pre-admission PCR test returned positive, and she was later prescribed the Covid oral drug. Her condition improved, but her family found she had lost consciousness at home in the early hours on Friday. She was rushed to the hospital but was later pronounced dead.
Lau reported that public hospitals and treatment facilities are now housing 1,420 patients. Among them, two are in critical condition, three are in serious condition, and five have been admitted to hospitals' intensive care units.
In the past 24 hours, 217 patients have recovered from Covid, and 154 of them have been discharged. From 2020 until now, the city has seen a total of 60,381 recovered patients.
The Centre for Health Protection's Chuang Shuk-kwan also reported 25 imported cases, including 14 patients who arrived in Hong Kong on Friday -- two on flights CX798 and PR300, three on TR600, three on CX162, two on SQ894, two on EK384 and two on KL819.
The overall tally of the fifth wave of the pandemic outbreak now stands at 1,191,579, Chuang added.
A worker of an elderly home tested positive, while two students from two schools also saw their rapid antigen test results return positive.
Chuang said it was difficult to tell if Hong Kong was protected by an immunity barrier and expected the infection figures to rebound after relaxing social distancing measures. Authorities will closely monitor the situation, she also said.
Meanwhile, Hospital Authority's chief manager for quality and standards, Lau Ka-hin, pointed out that over 27,000 patients have been prescribed the two oral Covid drugs -- over 17,000 received the Molnupiravir developed by Merck & Co, and over 9,000 were given Paxlovid developed by Pfizer.
Lau also reported 10 more related deaths, pushing the city's death tally to 9,095. The death rate now stands at 0.76 percent.
The 10 new deaths were all logged in public hospitals on Friday, including five men and five women aged between 58 and 94. Three were residents of elderly homes, and six had no vaccination record. Eight of them were aged 65 or above, Lau added.
He spoke of the case of a 58-year-old woman who was comparatively younger. The deceased patient suffered from breast cancer and was admitted to hospital on April 12 due to difficulties in breathing and increased heart rate.
The result of her pre-admission PCR test returned positive, and she was later prescribed the Covid oral drug. Her condition improved, but her family found she had lost consciousness at home in the early hours on Friday. She was rushed to the hospital but was later pronounced dead.
Lau reported that public hospitals and treatment facilities are now housing 1,420 patients. Among them, two are in critical condition, three are in serious condition, and five have been admitted to hospitals' intensive care units.
In the past 24 hours, 217 patients have recovered from Covid, and 154 of them have been discharged. From 2020 until now, the city has seen a total of 60,381 recovered patients.
