Hong Kong’s Hospitals Reach a Breaking Point as Infections Skyrocket

Will Antiviral Drugs Make Significant Impact?

As PHASE Scientific USA continues to monitor the pandemic on a global scale, the spotlight has fallen on Hong Kong, where the count of daily COVID-19 cases has reached upwards of 4,000 for the very first time.

The steep surge of cases has inundated Hong Kong’s healthcare system as hospitals continue to operate beyond their capacity. In addition to the large volume of patients in the emergency rooms, thousands of individuals await hospitalization with no choice but to self-isolate in their homes. The intensity of demand has led medical personnel to prioritize the treatment of infected children and elderly individuals. Health officials have expressed significant concern specifically about the elderly since 54% of the population over age 70 are only inoculated with one dose of the vaccine.

Besides overwhelming Hong Kong’s healthcare system, the inflamed condition of the outbreak has also challenged the city’s zero-COVID efforts and exacerbated economic circumstances. In response to the worsening situation, Hong Kong has moved to procure COVID-19 antiviral drugs like Paxlovid from Pfizer under China’s conditional approval. This initiative hints at the possibility that China might transition to a more flexible containment policy, especially since efforts to create a homegrown mRNA vaccine have yet to reach completion. Loosening the stringency of the zero-COVID policy in this way may provide a much-needed breath of fresh air to Hong Kong’s rising infection rate and stifled economy.

In the meantime, continued use of quick and reliable testing kits like our very own INDICAID COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test will greatly aid efforts to identify and curb further disease transmission.