Missing link in variant cluster appears to have been found

By Vir B. Lumicao

The Sham Shui Po flat in this building is where the variant was caught by at least 3 people

A relative of the Filipina girlfriend of an Indian man from Dubai identified as the index case in a recent cluster outbreak of coronavirus variant has tested positive for immunoglobulin G, indicating the person had a recent Covid-19 infection.

This was discovered by experts from the Centre for Health Protection as they continued their investigation into the case of the Filipina identified in a Kowloon City Court hearing yesterday as Victoria Marie Guadiz, a 31-year-old clinic receptionist.

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Guadiz and her boyfriend, Indian engineer Syed Mohamed Rizvi, are facing separate charges of lying to authorities on their earlier whereabouts after being found to carry the South African variant.

The CHP said a probe on Guadiz revealed that one of her close contacts who hosted a gathering on Apr 18 at 37 Fuk Wing St in Sham Shui Po, had tested positive for immunoglobulin G, an antibody.

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The CHP said the presence of the antibody indicated the person had been infected recently with Covid-19.

The infection appears to supply the missing link between the transmissions at the house in Sham Shui Po and the flat of Guadiz’s mother in Fung Hing House of Hing Wah (II) Estate in Chai Wan where an earlier gathering was held on Apr 13.

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According to earlier information from CHP, Guadiz and Rizvi attended the gathering at the Chai Wan flat where the woman’s mother lives alone.

Three of those who attended the Chai Wan party held another gathering at the Sham Shui Po flat on Apr 18, and invited three Filipina helpers who all later tested positive for the variant. According to CHP in an earlier briefing, Guadiz's brother, wife and child live in the Sham Shui Po flat.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love.

One of the helpers who lives in Tung Chung, passed on the infection to her 10-month-old employer and her female employer.

Guadiz’s mother also tested positive for the variant after being taken to hospital with a fever.

Ramada Grand Hotel in TST where Rizvi spent his quarantine

Including Rizvi and Guadiz, eight people  have now been linked to the variant cluster.

Rizvi, who arrived in Hong Kong from Dubai on Mar 19, is tagged as the index patient, and experts say he must have caught the variant from the hotel where he spent his 21-day quarantine.

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Meanwhile, only one imported infection was reported today by the CHP, involving an Indonesian helper who arrived on May 9 aboard a Cathay flight CX798 from Jakarta.

Samples taken from her at the airport showed she was positive of Covid-19, but did not carry the more infectious N501Y variant.

Her case took the city’s total tally to 11,813.

About five preliminary positive cases were also reported.

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