COVID-19 surveillance boosted

May 11, 2020

The Hospital Authority will conduct admission screening for a random sample of institutional residents and patients admitted to psychiatric wards starting May 12.

 

The new measures aim to help mitigate the risk of a COVID-19 community outbreak at an early stage.

     

Given the evolving global COVID-19 situation and the ongoing widespread community transmission overseas, it is vital to maintain vigilance against potential outbreaks particularly among vulnerable groups, the authority said.

     

Admission screening targeted at vulnerable groups will facilitate early case detection and public health intervention to reduce the risk of institutional outbreaks.

 

Upon hospital admission, specimens will be collected from asymptomatic institutional residents, who can provide deep throat saliva, from residential care homes for the elderly, residential care homes for the disabled and nursing homes.

 

Patients admitted to psychiatric wards will also be included in this screening programme.

 

The new measure was recommended by the authority's Central Committee on Infectious Diseases & Emergency Response and supported by the Centre for Health Protection.

     

Additionally, in view of the presentation of mild respiratory symptoms among COVID-19 patients, public hospitals will also extend the Enhanced Laboratory Surveillance to include inpatients with influenza-like illness symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat.

Back to top