The new coronavirus variant strain Omicron has entered the community, and the quarantine facility will soon fill up and leave camps in short supply. Food and Health Secretary Chen Zhaoshi recently mentioned that the epidemic situation is severe. If the spare quarantine hotels are exhausted, the authorities will consider home quarantine.
However, the living environment in Hong Kong is cramped and the units are changed in different ways. So far, there have been at least 8 cases of the epidemic involving the environment or vertical transmission of buildings, the so-called chimney effect or turbulence effect. Meixin Building, Tai Po.
Respiratory specialist Liang Zichao believes that home quarantine has a high risk of transmission and is not the best practice. Immediately implementing it without trying other isolation arrangements is "tantamount to surrendering by yourself."
He suggested that the Hong Kong government can requisition or rent unused rooms in quarantine hotels for arrivals for quarantine of close contacts of confirmed cases. If they are eventually saturated, home quarantine should be the last step. Proper consideration should be given to the epidemic prevention arrangements, monitoring and related support of the co-occupants.
Chen Zhaoshi refers to home quarantine of close contacts after quarantine facilities are full
The epidemic situation is getting more and more serious. The Secretary for Food and Health, Sophie Chan, said recently that the quarantine facilities in Hong Kong are tight. Due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant virus, one or two cases can lead to more than 100 infections. The Penny's Bay Quarantine Center has used about 1,500 Units, but other spare facilities including Lei Yue Mun Resort, Pat Heung Quarantine Centre and Sai Kung Outdoor Recreation Camp have few units available and may be full in a few cases.
She also pointed out that there are currently three quarantine hotels ready. If there are a large number of close contacts, and the quarantine center or even the hotels are exhausted, the authorities will consider home quarantine, but other government departments are required to support and assist.
Only 750 quarantine units remain
According to the information released by the Hong Kong government, as of 9:00 a.m. on the 9th, there are still 750 quarantine units available for immediate use at the Penny's Bay Quarantine Centre, Silka Hotel Tsuen Wan, Cosmo Hotel Wanchai and Dorsett Kwun Tong. The vacancy rate accounted for 17.3% of the overall.
Renovation of manure ditch in Cheung Hong Estate, Tsing Yi, resulting in building implosion and chimney effect
However, is home quarantine feasible in reality?
According to the data, since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, vertical transmission is suspected to have occurred in residential buildings in Hong Kong.
The first to detonate included Changkang Village, Tsing Yi. In February 2020, two residents of the same building on different floors were diagnosed successively. It was suspected that it was related to the unauthorized modification of the exhaust pipe connecting the toilet to the fecal drain in the low-level unit. Residents are required to evacuate urgently.
In June of the same year, many people in Luquan Building in Liyuan Village were infected with the virus, and some residents of the unit had to be evacuated.
The fourth wave of the epidemic that broke out in January last year also saw a series of vertical poisoning cases in buildings.
Residents of Yan Shek House, Shek Yam Estate, Kwai Chung have been confirmed to be diagnosed one after another. After inspection, it is believed that some units have been refitted with pipes, and other units have "grass" at the pipe joints on the external walls, which are suspected to have leakage problems. A total of 10 confirmed cases were recorded in Jinwei Plaza, Dunbargas Street. The patients were distributed in 5 units, of which 4 units were Room C with the same orientation.
Yuan Guoyong, a government expert consultant and chair professor of the Department of Microbiology of the University of Hong Kong, pointed out after inspection that vertical transmission may produce a chimney effect.
At the end of the same month, 13 residents of Block C, Tung Fat Building, Kam Ping Street, North Point, contracted the virus one after another. After inspection, it was believed to be related to the shared patio. However, the epidemic was severe, and the spread of the virus in the building was not over. In February of the same year, an outbreak occurred in Block R, Luk Yeung New Village, Tsuen Wan. , 7 units and as many as 12 residents were infected, which is believed to involve the chimney effect caused by the deep patio; in March of the same year, after a family of three in Block B, Phase 3, Junyi Building, Sai Ying Pun was diagnosed, another resident living upstairs was infected with the virus After the inspection, Yuan concluded that when the patient was cooking or taking a bath, the air flowed upward to form a "chimney effect", and the virus-laden air was pumped to the upper unit, infecting the residents.
Vertical transmission occurred in Meixin Building in Tai Po, and the affected residents needed to evacuate urgently.
(Photo by Lu Yiming)
Liang Zichao advocates using idle quarantine hotels first
Hong Kong has been "cleared" for a long time earlier, but the mutant virus strain Omicron was defeated in one attack.
Tai Po Meixin Building today added one more person who was initially diagnosed. His unit was in the same seat as another confirmed resident. After inspection, experts believe that vertical transmission has occurred, and the affected residents need to be relocated on a large scale.
Respiratory specialist Liang Zichao said that due to the local environment, home quarantine has a high risk of transmission. "If you jump to home quarantine before thinking about other methods, you will surrender yourself." He believes that the Hong Kong government has ordered flights to be suspended one after another. Quarantine hotels where overseas arrivals stay have been idle one after another. Consider requisitioning or renting relevant units with public funds for quarantine purposes for close contacts. At the same time, hotel staff have relevant quarantine work experience and can facilitate support. The security team is not staffed enough.”
The 7th round of the Hong Kong government's designated quarantine hotels list covers a total of 44 hotels, providing about 12,500 rooms.
Liang Zichao (file picture)
Liang Zichao went on to say that if the quarantine hotels are eventually saturated, the implementation of home quarantine will be "a solution out of nowhere", but the epidemic prevention arrangements of the quarantined persons and their family members must be considered, including whether it is necessary to restrict the freedom of entry and exit at the same time. Can we go out and replenish necessities?” and its related support, and also implement regular medical monitoring and make home inspection orders to prevent people from not complying with the arrangements.
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