Isolation bed criteria discussed

March 30, 2020

Hospital Authority Chief Manager (Quality & Standards) Dr Lau Ka-hin:
Actually we have discussed the criteria this morning among the experts in our Central Committee on Infectious Disease & Emergency Responses. The criteria include the patient having no fever for more than 48 hours, has more than 10 days after the onset of symptoms, no more respiratory symptoms or no diarrhea, no need of oxygen therapy, improving trend of haematological and biochemical profile. Yes, we will have around 400 beds in the second-tier isolation ward in the coming weeks. The beds will be opened gradually in different hospitals of seven Hospital Authority clusters. We expect the physician or doctor in charge of the isolation ward to make the clinical judgement of who will be suitable to be transferred to the second-tier isolation ward in the coming weeks. We expect more patients who have recovered well and are just waiting for negative coronavirus tests, to be transferred from the first-tier isolation bed to the second-tier isolation bed in order to have more first-tier isolation beds to accommodate the confirmed or suspected cases.

(To watch the full media briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The Hospital Authority today said it has discussed the criteria for patients suitable to be transferred to step-down care to free up more isolation ward beds for confirmed COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks.

Hospital Authority Chief Manager (Quality & Standards) Dr Lau Ka-hin told a press briefing that the patient criteria was discussed by the experts of its Central Committee on Infectious Disease & Emergency Responses this morning.

“The criteria include the patient having no fever for more than 48 hours, has more than 10 days after the onset of symptoms, no more respiratory symptoms or no diarrhea, no need of oxygen therapy, and improving trend of haematological and biochemical profile.”

Dr Lau also reiterated that around 400 isolation beds will be available in the coming weeks to help accommodate the increasing number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city.

“We will have around 400 beds in the second-tier isolation ward in the coming weeks. The beds will be opened gradually in different hospitals of seven Hospital Authority clusters. We expect the physician or doctor in charge of the isolation ward to make the clinical judgement of who will be suitable to be transferred to the second-tier isolation ward in the coming weeks.”

He added that the authority expects more patients who have recovered well and are waiting for negative coronavirus tests to be transferred from first-tier isolation beds to second-tier ones to free up more beds for confirmed or suspected cases.