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Written by: Chung Yan and Liang Huanmin
2021-04-23 23:58
Last update date: 2021-04-24 00:04
There were 9 new confirmed cases of new crown pneumonia in Hong Kong today. One of them involved a Filipino domestic helper who had completed quarantine at the designated quarantine hotel, Ramada Seaview Hotel, Sai Ying Pun. After she completed the quarantine and arrived at the employer’s house, she was found to be infected with the N501Y variant virus.
The Center for Health Protection of the Department of Health found that during the stay of the domestic helper, there were 3 confirmed residents in the adjacent room, and 2 of them had the variant virus.
The Chief Medical Officer of the Infectious Diseases Division of the Centre for Health Protection, Ou Jiarong, together with the Chair Professor of the Department of Microbiology of the University of Hong Kong Yuan Guoyong, and representatives of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department visited the Ramada Hotel in Sai Ying Pun in the evening.
Yuan Guoyong pointed out that when the hotel room opened the window and the residents opened the door to take food or take samples, the wind in the room would blow into the corridor and have the opportunity to enter the adjacent room.
He pointed out that the corridors of the hotel are extremely narrow and the rooms are too small, which makes the problem more likely to occur. He suggested reducing the occupancy rate and adding air cleaners in the corridors.
Residents are infected in 3 rooms on the 6th floor
Ou Jiarong pointed out that the initially confirmed Filipino domestic helper stayed in Room 605 of the Ramada Seaview Hotel Xiyingpan from March 27, while the adjacent room 602 was inhabited by 3 Indians from April 4th to 7th. Subsequently, all cases were diagnosed and a variant virus was detected (case numbers: 11682, 11689, 11709); in addition, room 617 on the same floor, which was far away from the two rooms, also had confirmed cases, involving a person who was sent from the Philippines on March 25. Those who arrived in Hong Kong tested positive for the new coronavirus on the 19th day, that is, April 12, with a high CT value.
Ou Jiarong (middle), chief physician of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Center for Health Protection, said that three rooms on the 6th floor of the Ramada Harbour View Hotel have confirmed cases.
(Photo by Liang Huanmin)
The narrow corridor increases the chances of virus entering the house
After the inspection, Yuan Guoyong said that if the room opens the window, the wind can blow into the corridor when the occupant opens the door. "Theoretically, the canal (air with virus) can walk into isolation. If there is no window on the opposite side and the door is opened, It is because there is a virus that pollutes the air in the room and you can walk into the room.” This means that 602 and 605 are just next to each other, and the situation has a chance to happen.
He said that a family of 3 living in 605 was diagnosed, and the amount of virus that can be released can be very high. In addition, the N501Y variant virus is extremely contagious, and the virus may indeed enter nearby rooms.
Yuan Xu pointed out that the corridors in the hotel are extremely narrow, the rooms are also small, and the occupancy rate is also quite high. The hotel has 432 units and the occupancy rate was over 90%, and now it is about 80%. He believes that these factors have opportunities The virus spread in the hotel.
Earlier, a 29-year-old Indian male patient infected with the South African variant virus was also quarantined at the Ramada Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui of the same group. The Center for Health Protection stated that he had a greater chance of infection in the hotel. During the meal, the lunch box is hung on the "S-shaped hook" of the door handle, which may be a means of transmission.
But today, Yuan Guoyong pointed out that the chance of spreading through the hooks is low. He pointed out that the Center for Health Protection has tested 55 hooks of the Ramada Harbour View Hotel. Among them, the hooks used by the elderly are all negative.
Yuan Guoyong and Ou Jiarong showed the floor plan of the 6th floor of the Ramada Xiyingpan Hotel.
(Photo by Liang Huanmin)
Yuan Guoyong emphasized that it has not been possible to determine whether the infected Filipino domestic helper was indeed infected in the hotel and had the opportunity to have been exposed to the virus on the plane, but the samples on the 12th and 19th days of arrival in Hong Kong could not be detected.
He believes that it is very likely that the staff who sampled the residents were "not very good." "We have reason to believe that in fact, the two times on the 12th and the 19th should actually be positive first, but it's a little bit better. The solution did not happen. At that time, the person who sampled was not enough to do what they should do. It’s not clear.” He pointed out that the patient had already been tested for antibodies when he was admitted to the hospital, and he was already infected. If it is positive, it is learned that the hotel has transferred to the testing subcontractor during the patient's stay. "The transfer meeting will make the performance poor, so we have to consider everything."
Yuan believes that the risk of the foreign domestic helper's infection with the mutant virus spreading in the community is small. Because the antibody has been tested when admitted to the hospital, it is expected that the condition is "water tail", and the number of the virus should be low.
Yuan Guoyong pointed out that if the hotel room opens the window and then opens the door, there is a chance that the virus will blow out of the lounge.
(Photo by Liang Huanmin)
Yuan Guoyong suggested that hotels should add air purifiers in the corridors, which can be diluted even if the virus is blown out of the corridors, so that the amount of virus in the air is reduced. He also thinks that to reduce the occupancy rate, if the virus is in the air, it can be diluted, but he admits it is The "difficult approach", the government may have to lose money to hotels due to lower occupancy rates.
He also suggested that quarantine residents should wear a mask and close the windows when opening the door. However, he pointed out that prohibiting residents from opening windows is not suitable. "It is miserable to seal a window", which will result in low fresh air volume in the room. He believes that residents should open the window. It is more suitable to close the window when opening the door.
Yuan Guoyong (second from right), Ou Jiarong (third from right) and representatives of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (first from right) inspected the Ramada Seaview Hotel Xiyingpan on the evening of April 23.
(Photo by Liang Huanmin)
Residents who once lived on the 6th floor must be re-quarantine staff and residents for mandatory testing
Ou Jiarong said that the Food and Health Bureau should issue an announcement tonight. From March 27 to today, all residents and staff who have stayed at the Ramada Seaview Hotel in Sai Ying Pun will be subject to mandatory testing, which will also be from April 4 to today. Guests who have lived on the 6th floor of the hotel on the 7th are arranged for quarantine, and they will be quarantined for 21 days from the time they leave the hotel.
He continued that the residents of No. 8 Kennedy Road where the Filipino domestic helper lives need to be sent to the quarantine center, while the Filipino domestic helpers have visited the Central World Plaza, the Wan Chai Immigration Department building and its brokerage at No. 176 Queen's Road Central Kam On Building. Be included in the mandatory inspection building.
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