The Department of Health announced today (15th) that there have been 8,187 new confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia in Hong Kong, including 8,023 local cases and 164 imported cases, and a further 6 patients, aged 73 to 95, have passed away. of the new corona vaccine.
Today there were 8 other nursing homes for the elderly, a total of 13 residents and 1 staff member were diagnosed with confirmed cases and there were confirmed cases in 3 nursing homes for the disabled.A total of 88 people were classified as close contacts and isolation and quarantine required.
Regarding school cases, schools today reported 1,064 new cases, including 893 student cases and 171 staff cases, for a total of 664 schools. Today, 12 new school classes have clustered cases and a total of 13 classes have to be suspended. In addition, there are 7 schools that had previously suspended individual lessons and face-to-face teaching will be suspended for the new classes.
Additionally, an outbreak occurred in the internal medicine and geriatric wards of Pok Oi Hospital. A few days ago an 86-year-old male patient was diagnosed. After monitoring, three other patients between the ages of 66 and 90 were diagnosed. patients are currently isolated for treatment and are in stable condition.
The Center for Health Protection pointed out that BA.4 or 5 currently account for 79.6% of total cases and the rate of increase has started to slow and is expected to peak in the short term.
Director of the Medical and Health Bureau, Lu Chongmao, posted a blog this morning, refuting without naming former Hospital Authority Chief Executive Leung Pak-yin that the death rates of the novel coronavirus and seasonal flu are similar. , and denounced the statement as misleading to the public.
Ou Jiarong, the chief physician of the Infectious Diseases Division of the Center for Health Protection, once again mentioned, attending a press conference on the outbreak this afternoon, that more than 9,500 people have died since the start of the new corona outbreak, with an average mortality rate of around 0.6%. During a severe outbreak, it is “inappropriate” to compare the mortality rate in May of this year alone.
Ou Jiarong pointed out that there is no scientific evidence to show that BA.4 or 5 is lower than other previous variants and the death rate in the later stage of the fifth wave of the outbreak has dropped significantly., It is “misleading” to compare. the severity of Omicron and flu for a single period of data.
Au Jiarong pointed out that both the flu and the new corona will have antigenic mutations, which will lead to changes in the severity of the disease, but there is no doubt that the new corona is much more transmissible than the flu and the disease is even more severe. Influenza For example, children and the elderly have a higher risk of serious complications and are more likely to There are sequelae such as “long new crown”.
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