The "three reductions" of the epidemic must focus on collecting symptoms, identifying high-risk, and protecting others

Hong Kong's strategy to fight the new crown epidemic in the fifth wave failed, and the number of infections, severe cases and deaths continued to rise.

On Monday (7th), the Hospital Authority emphasized the need for early detection of high-risk patients in the community, triage, and stratified treatment of infected persons, which means that the authority has improved its anti-epidemic strategy, and it can also echo the suggestion of "reducing infection" suggested by Liang Wannian, an expert in mainland assistance to Hong Kong. , reduce severe cases, reduce deaths” goals.

Li Xiayin, director of strategic development of the Hospital Authority, said at Monday's press conference on the epidemic that the current countermeasures are to triage and stratify the treatment of infected patients. Hospital services are reserved for critically ill patients, and other infected patients receive medical services and isolation in the community. Patients in high-risk groups in the community.

These groups include the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and those with immune system problems.

Diversion patients, concentrate on preventing and reducing critical incidents, and identifying high-risk groups, just echoing the national health committee new crown epidemic response to the leading group leader of the disposal work Leading Group Lead Wan Yue, "Three Reduce", "Four concentration" goals, namely "reduce infections, reduce severe cases, and reduce deaths", "concentrate patients, concentrate experts, concentrate resources, and concentrate treatment", and establish an indicator system to assess who is prone to emergencies and prevent severe cases in time.

On March 5, 2022, Liang Wannian, the leader of the mainland expert team, visited the To Kwa Wan Community Testing Center.

(Photo by Zhang Haowei)

Anti-epidemic goals should be emphasized as early as now

In fact, the "three reductions" and stratification strategies were not initiated by Liang Wannian. Chief Executive Carrie Lam also mentioned it in her speech at the end of last month, but it was ranked after the government's goal of "early detection, early isolation, and early treatment", and there was no specific measure.

It is necessary for Liang Wannian and the HA to increase the importance of the "three reductions". After all, Hong Kong has passed the stage where patients can be contained in the early stage of the epidemic, and the isolation arrangements are seriously lagging behind, so the community has no way to cut off the chain of transmission.

The work of the government and hospitals should be shifted to treating patients in order to save lives, and at the same time make the elderly feel not abandoned by society and keep the citizens hopeful.

To reduce deaths and severe cases, the Hospital Authority must concentrate manpower and resources on treatment.

Liang Wannian observed that critically ill patients were involved in multiple organ failure, so he suggested that comprehensive and high-level hospitals should be dedicated to accepting patients with severe new crowns. In Hong Kong's situation, they are the leading hospitals in the hospital network.

This approach is a good idea in terms of concept, but the Hospital Authority has not long ago designated Tin Shui Wai and North Lantau Hospital as designated hospitals to send non-COVID-19 patients to other hospitals. Changing the practice across the board will increase the time for medical staff to allocate patients.

The Hospital Authority announced on Tuesday (8th) that it would join Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the list of hospitals. It is believed that it can make good use of the more abundant manpower and equipment of leading hospitals for diagnosis, which may be a new measure under the new goal of the authority.

In this regard, the authorities need to make arrangements for the transfer of non-infected patients in the hospital.

The fifth wave of the new crown epidemic is severe, and the outbreak in residential care homes for the elderly is worrying.

Focus on follow-up of high-risk patients to prevent infection and prevent severe cases

Proper allocation of medical support to patients can also help reduce mortality and severe illness rates.

Earlier, the HA only prioritized medical treatment according to the severity of symptoms. For example, it urged people with mild symptoms to seek medical treatment at designated clinics instead of going to the A&E department. However, it did not identify the risk of infection according to the distribution of patient characteristics, and detailed monitoring work.

The HA currently classifies the elderly over the age of 70, children under the age of 5, pregnant women who have reached 28 weeks of pregnancy, and people with weakened immune systems as high-risk patients, and has introduced measures to identify groups whose conditions have deteriorated early, such as proactively calling them for advice. Medical advice, arrange for those in need to seek medical treatment at designated clinics, and go to elderly homes to consult patients with confirmed cases, and send those with serious conditions to the hospital.

In addition, it is precisely because residential care homes are the main places where the elderly are infected, and the number of elderly residential care homes infected with the virus has increased to more than 85%. Residential staff implement closed-loop work and life to achieve the goal of reducing infection.

The fifth wave of the epidemic entered a major outbreak period early last month. The government and the Hospital Authority did not formulate measures to triage patients and isolate patients in residential care homes in advance, which eventually overloaded public hospitals, and hospitals and residential homes became outbreaks.

In the past two or three weeks, the government has become more chaotic. Officials shouted anti-epidemic slogans. Citizens can only help themselves while they wait for government support.

The Hospital Authority announced on Monday that patients with COVID-19 will be treated separately, and the hospital will focus on treating critically ill patients. It will implement the new goal of preventing death and preventing severe illness, rationalize the allocation of medical resources, and rationalize the direction of Hong Kong's anti-epidemic efforts. It is believed that many suggestions from mainland experts have been absorbed.

Now that the goal is clear, the whole society should take their respective positions, implement and implement measures according to the new direction, and win the battle against the epidemic together.

Epidemic prevention cannot be done independently. Hong Kong government must improve its leadership China or withdraw from the zero policy