The fifth wave of the epidemic has begun to ease. With the large number of infected people and the high vaccination rate, Kong Fanyi, a clinical professor at the Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, predicts that the number of confirmed cases will gradually decline. You can do sports without wearing a mask.
He also pointed out that Hong Kong people are mainly infected with the most prevalent Omicron BA.2 virus at present, and the third vaccination rate will soon reach 90%, so it is better than Singapore to gradually relax various restrictions in an orderly manner.
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Wearing masks indoors still needs to be maintained
The daily confirmed cases in Hong Kong have been hovering around 12,000 to 13,000 recently. Kong Fanyi quoted a study by the University of Hong Kong and estimated that at least 3.5 million people in Hong Kong have been infected with the virus. It is believed that most people have antibodies, and the epidemic will gradually decline. Due to the low risk of outdoor infection, by June and July, citizens should not be required to wear masks outdoors, but indoors should still be maintained.
Future strategies should focus on severe illness and death toll
Kong Fanyi said that when the overall vaccination rate is high or most people have been infected, the new crown virus will change from a pandemic to an endemic disease. The government's future anti-epidemic strategy should focus on the number of severe cases and deaths. Tighten social distancing measures.
Kong Fanyi pointed out that if the epidemic continues to decline, masks should not be required outdoors by June and July.
(File photo/Photo by Luo Junhao)
Hong Kong better positioned than Singapore to ease restrictions
Because the fifth wave was mainly infected with Omicron BA.2 virus strain in Hong Kong people, Kong Fanyi said that neutralizing antibodies can effectively fight against Delta or Omicron BA.1 virus strains. On the contrary, the infected people in Singapore are mainly Delta or Omicron BA.1 virus strains. The infection of the Omicron BA.2 virus strain is very weak, and the third vaccination rate is only 70%. It is expected that the epidemic will rebound after Singapore relaxes the restrictions. Therefore, it is believed that Hong Kong is better than Singapore to relax the restrictions.
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Virus-turned-terroir disease is the final stop
Kong Fanyi described that the new crown virus will become an endemic disease as the final stop. It is expected that injections will be required every year in the future. At present, there are studies to combine the new crown and flu vaccine into one, and the University of Hong Kong is also developing a related nasal spray vaccine. Citizens need a shot.
He estimates that even if Omicron keeps mutating, although the infectivity will increase, the destructive power will decrease, and people infected with the vaccine will have mild symptoms or even no symptoms.
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