By The SUN
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| Lo says it's wrong to say Covid-19 is as mild as the common flu |
Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau has hit back at suggestions from some medical experts who said Covid-19 is as mild as flu, saying such comments are misleading.
Writing on his blog on Thursday, Lo disputed remarks that
the fatality rate of the coronavirus in
He posted his remarks a day after former chief executive of Hospital Authority, Leung Pak-yin, said Covid’s death rate after May this year at about 0.098 percent is similar to flu’s 0.1 percent death rate.
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“Some people think the Centre for Health Protection should exclude the number
of deaths at the peak of the Omicron outbreak earlier this year and only take
into account the 0.1 percent fatality rate of Covid since May. This is a
serious mistake. It disregards thousands of people who died of Covid-19, and
misleads people into taking the pandemic lightly,” Lo wrote.
He reiterated that the correct fatality rate of Covid-19 on
“We understand that after more than two years, people hope the epidemic will be
brought under control as soon as possible,” he wrote. “However, using the death
figures from May onwards... is a generalisation that would make people feel
numb about the coronavirus situation and hinder our anti-epidemic work.”
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
Lo also pointed out that Omicron is more transmissible and mutates more quickly
than flu. In addition, many of those infected could develop long Covid – while
children who catch the virus are more prone to complications and even death.
The same arguments were raised by Dr Albert Au of the Centre for Health Protection during the daily press briefing on the Covid situation.
Citing statistics, Au said Covid is potentially more dangerous for people who have not been vaccinated, the elderly and young children.
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For instance, he said croup, a life-threatening side-effect of a viral infection, has afflicted 5.3% of children who have come down with the coronavirus, compared with just 1.9% of those who catch influenza.
He also cited a report from the World Health Organization that said many of those infected with the coronavirus suffer from long Covid, or the long-term effects of symptoms associated with the disease.
Meanwhile, Au reported a total of 8,187 new Covid infections, including 164 imported cases.
Six deaths were reported, which took the death toll in the fifth and most deadly wave of the pandemic t0 9,623.
The deaths involved two men and four women aged 73-95. Only one of them had the recommended three doses of a vaccine.
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Dr Sara Ho of the Hospital Authority said 2,812 patients are in hospital, and among them, 49 are in critical condition, including 10 who are in intensive care; while 58 have severe symptoms.
Of the 164 imported cases, 58 were detected at the airport, 64 at the designated quarantine hotels and 36 between days 4 and 7 of the patients’ arrival. Six others tested positive after day 7 but most are likely re-infection cases.
More than 10 cases were detected from arrivals from six
countries, namely, the
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PADALA NA!
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