Evolution and Control of COVID-19 Epidemic in Hong Kong
Hong Kong SAR has adopted universal masking, social distancing, testing of all symptomatic and high-risk groups for isolation of confirmed cases in healthcare facilities, and quarantine of contacts as epidemiological control measures without city lockdown or border closure. These measures successful...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/11/2519 |
| _version_ | 1797463857495539712 |
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| author | Shuk-Ching Wong Albert Ka-Wing Au Janice Yee-Chi Lo Pak-Leung Ho Ivan Fan-Ngai Hung Kelvin Kai-Wang To Kwok-Yung Yuen Vincent Chi-Chung Cheng |
| author_facet | Shuk-Ching Wong Albert Ka-Wing Au Janice Yee-Chi Lo Pak-Leung Ho Ivan Fan-Ngai Hung Kelvin Kai-Wang To Kwok-Yung Yuen Vincent Chi-Chung Cheng |
| author_sort | Shuk-Ching Wong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Hong Kong SAR has adopted universal masking, social distancing, testing of all symptomatic and high-risk groups for isolation of confirmed cases in healthcare facilities, and quarantine of contacts as epidemiological control measures without city lockdown or border closure. These measures successfully suppressed the community transmission of pre-Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants or lineages during the first to the fourth wave. No nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 infection was documented among healthcare workers in the first 300 days. The strategy of COVID-19 containment was adopted to provide additional time to achieve population immunity by vaccination. The near-zero COVID-19 situation for about 8 months in 2021 did not enable adequate immunization of the eligible population. A combination of factors was identified, especially population complacency associated with the low local COVID-19 activity, together with vaccine hesitancy. The importation of the highly transmissible Omicron variant kickstarted the fifth wave of COVID-19, which could no longer be controlled by our initial measures. The explosive fifth wave, which was partially contributed by vertical airborne transmission in high-rise residential buildings, resulted in over one million cases of infection. In this review, we summarize the epidemiology of COVID-19 and the infection control and public health measures against the importation and dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 until day 1000. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:56:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f000c0197e8741ca8d0789562bf88f31 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:56:43Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-f000c0197e8741ca8d0789562bf88f312023-11-24T10:18:31ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152022-11-011411251910.3390/v14112519Evolution and Control of COVID-19 Epidemic in Hong KongShuk-Ching Wong0Albert Ka-Wing Au1Janice Yee-Chi Lo2Pak-Leung Ho3Ivan Fan-Ngai Hung4Kelvin Kai-Wang To5Kwok-Yung Yuen6Vincent Chi-Chung Cheng7Infection Control Team, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong West Cluster, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaCentre for Health Protection, Department of Health, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaCentre for Health Protection, Department of Health, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaDepartment of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaDepartment of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaDepartment of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaDepartment of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaInfection Control Team, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong West Cluster, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaHong Kong SAR has adopted universal masking, social distancing, testing of all symptomatic and high-risk groups for isolation of confirmed cases in healthcare facilities, and quarantine of contacts as epidemiological control measures without city lockdown or border closure. These measures successfully suppressed the community transmission of pre-Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants or lineages during the first to the fourth wave. No nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 infection was documented among healthcare workers in the first 300 days. The strategy of COVID-19 containment was adopted to provide additional time to achieve population immunity by vaccination. The near-zero COVID-19 situation for about 8 months in 2021 did not enable adequate immunization of the eligible population. A combination of factors was identified, especially population complacency associated with the low local COVID-19 activity, together with vaccine hesitancy. The importation of the highly transmissible Omicron variant kickstarted the fifth wave of COVID-19, which could no longer be controlled by our initial measures. The explosive fifth wave, which was partially contributed by vertical airborne transmission in high-rise residential buildings, resulted in over one million cases of infection. In this review, we summarize the epidemiology of COVID-19 and the infection control and public health measures against the importation and dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 until day 1000.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/11/2519COVID-19SARS-CoV-2variantsinfection control |
| spellingShingle | Shuk-Ching Wong Albert Ka-Wing Au Janice Yee-Chi Lo Pak-Leung Ho Ivan Fan-Ngai Hung Kelvin Kai-Wang To Kwok-Yung Yuen Vincent Chi-Chung Cheng Evolution and Control of COVID-19 Epidemic in Hong Kong Viruses COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 variants infection control |
| title | Evolution and Control of COVID-19 Epidemic in Hong Kong |
| title_full | Evolution and Control of COVID-19 Epidemic in Hong Kong |
| title_fullStr | Evolution and Control of COVID-19 Epidemic in Hong Kong |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evolution and Control of COVID-19 Epidemic in Hong Kong |
| title_short | Evolution and Control of COVID-19 Epidemic in Hong Kong |
| title_sort | evolution and control of covid 19 epidemic in hong kong |
| topic | COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 variants infection control |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/11/2519 |
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