HA begins using rapid virus tests

April 22, 2020

Hospital Authority Chief Manager (Quality & Standards) Dr Lau Ka-hin:

For the rapid test, today is the first day to have this test in our Hospital Authority hospitals and Queen Elizabeth Hospital is now going to have this test today. With this test, we can have the result within a short period - one to two hours. This test is used now on accident and emergency (department) patients because we don’t want to keep these patients in accident and emergency departments for a long period. When we used the previous test, patients needed to wait for six to eight hours. 

Besides the patients in accident and emergency departments, we can also use this test on patients who need results quickly. For example, when a patient has emergency surgery, we want to know the status of the patient, whether the patient has caught coronavirus. We may use this test for some specific patients in order to know the status of the patient within a short period.

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

The Hospital Authority today began using rapid tests to check for COVID-19 at its hospitals.

Speaking to reporters this afternoon, the authority’s Chief Manager (Quality & Standards) Dr Lau Ka-hin said these rapid tests could produce results in one to two hours.

Dr Lau said: “This test is used now on accident and emergency department patients because we don’t want to keep these patients in accident and emergency departments for a long period.

“When we used the previous test, patients needed to wait for six to eight hours."

Aside from patients in accident and emergency departments, Dr Lau added the test could also be used on patients who need results quickly.

“For example, when a patient has emergency surgery, we want to know the status of the patient, whether the patient has caught coronavirus."