Coronavirus｜People easy to get infected when contacting with high viral load COVID-19 patients

The third wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong saw a sharp increase of 108 confirmed cases in a single day yesterday (July 19), including 83 local cases and 48 cases of unknown origin, bringing the cumulative total to 1,886.

The number of confirmed cases of unknown origin is widespread in different districts. Chuang Shuk-Kwan, director of the Infectious Diseases Branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said that the amount and spread of the virus are very high, and people can be infected even after a short period of contact with a confirmed patient.

Some patients said, "A few minutes without a mask can get you infected." Some elderly patients or homemakers who have no individual routines to go out except for tea and grocery shopping still end up falling victims.

Chuang said that there are more and more confirmed cases in HK, and many of them have participated in birthday parties, mahjong games, and family gatherings. In some cases, there was no name list, making it very difficult to trace the problem's source, which the virus can spread quickly.

In most of the confirmed cases, family members of the patients already had symptoms at the time of discovery. If there was a slight delay in tracking down the close contacts, many would have developed symptoms and spread to others, Chuang added.

Chuang stressed that if the situation is not alleviated, the healthcare system will collapse. She warned people who feel unwell not to move around, seek medical treatment as soon as possible, maintain hygiene, and wear masks at home to avoid spreading the infection to their family members.