Covid Tests May Be Extended To Day Ward Patients

The Hospital Authority is considering extending Covid-19 tests to patients at day wards at public hospitals after an outbreak at Princess Margaret Hospital.

Experts believed that the virus spread through the air when a cancer patient, who was later confirmed with the coronavirus, took off her face mask for a meal, infecting at least four others, among them medical staff.

Speaking on an RTHK programme, a deputy chief executive of the hospital, Michael Wong, said the Hospital Authority will have a meeting on Tuesday to consider requiring patients at day wards to get Covid-19 tests. The authority will also discuss if medical staff should be tested regularly.

Currently, all patients admitted to public hospitals have to be tested for Covid-19, but day patients are exempt.

Wong also gave an account of what happened at Princess Margaret Hospital.

He said the 66-year-old patient had a mild fever when she arrived at the day ward last Monday, which is normal among those suffering bone marrow cancer.

Wong said she was arranged to get treatment in a separate area with partitions but not tested for Covid-19.

That was because waiting for a test result would last longer than her brief stay, and staff did not think that her fever was caused by the coronavirus.

He added that her temperature returned to normal after another check.

Wong said the hospital has learnt a lesson. From now on, suspicious cases would be tested first, or treated in an isolation ward.

He also said the hospital would consider providing light meals or try to shorten treatment time, so patients do not need to stay for lunch.