Pok Oi Hospital gives following update regarding a suspected hospital acquired case of COVID-19
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Pok Oi Hospital (POH) spokesperson made the following update today (April 5) regarding a suspected hospital acquired case of COVID-19 announced yesterday:
POH has arranged the specimen taking of nasopharyngeal swab for the 72 in-patients (69 males and 3 females) who have been admitted to the same medical wards with the 93-year-old male patient, who was tested positive for COVID-19. As at 9pm, 56 patient specimens were available and all of them were negative. The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) had also arranged six patients who were discharged to old Age residential care homes to re-admit to POH for COVID-19 testing. Their results were also negative. As for the four family members who lived with the index patient or regarded as close contact, they were also tested negative to COVID-19.
POH will continue to work on the contact tracing of healthcare workers and staff who have been in contact with the index patient, including doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, patient care assistants etc. Among these 200 people, 135 of them were tested negative to COVID-19. The hospital will arrange the tests for the remaining colleagues as soon as possible. Among the colleagues who have been followed-up, except the community care nurse that was mentioned yesterday, all others were not considered as close contact for the time being. However, they will be placed under medical surveillance for 28 days. Besides, the 18 environmental specimen collected from the ward such as blood pressure monitors and laundry bags, were tested negative for COVID-19.
Since admission of new patients had been suspended for the two medical wards that the index patient had stayed, the New Territories West Cluster (NTWC) has activated contingency diversion to arrange POH Accident &Emergency (A&E) patients who need admission to be diverted to Tuen Mun Hospital. The hospital will continue to work closely with CHP on the investigation of source of infection, and closely monitor the situation of all colleagues and patients concerned.
Ends/Sunday, April 5, 2020
Issued at HKT 23:05
Issued at HKT 23:05
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