The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for Kwong Wah Hospital today (August 9) made the following announcement concerning one preliminarily positive case of COVID-19 infection and provide updates about a close contact of a case confirmed with COVID-19 earlier (case no. 3714):
      
     A 70-year-old male patient with chronic disease was admitted through Accident and Emergency Department to the surveillance ward of KWH on August 3 due to fever, and received a COVID-19 test on the same date. His Nasopharyngeal Aspirate and Throat Swab sample was tested negative for COVID-19. In view of his unstable condition, he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on August 4 for further management.
      
     As the patient presented with symptoms of sore throat and diarrhea, he was transferred to a surveillance ward for another COVID-19 test on August 5 and the test result was negative.  The patient was transferred to a general surgical ward for treatment on August 6 due to his surgical problem.
      
     The patient had persistent fever from August 6. Based on clinical decision, he was transferred to the surveillance ward for another COVID-19 test on August 8 and the test result was positive. The patient was then transferred to the isolation ward for treatment and is now in stable condition.
      
     The hospital’s infection control team conducted contact tracing according to prevailing guidelines, eight patients who had stayed in the same general surgical ward with the confirmed case were classified as close contacts. Seven patients have been isolated, and the hospital had informed the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) for the follow up of the remaining one discharged patient.
      
     57 healthcare workers provided treatment and care to the patient were equipped with appropriate personal protective equipment in accordance with the infection control guidelines of the Hospital Authority. The hospital’s infection control team had been conducting contact tracing for healthcare workers according to prevailing guidelines. No staff member had been classified as close contact at the moment.
      
     The hospital has arranged thorough cleansing and disinfection of the concerned surgical ward. The hospital would continue to closely monitor the health of staff and patients, and communicate with the CHP about the latest situation.
      
     Furthermore, a 75-year-old male patient who was being identified as a close contact of the 81-year-old male patient (case no.3714) confirmed with COVID-19 infection due to having stayed in the same cubicle of the general medical ward was tested negative for COVID-19 on initial screening on August 4. As the 75-year-old male patient was presented with fever and coughing symptoms from August 8, he had been transferred to isolation ward on August 9 for COVID-19 test and the test result was positive. The patient is now in serious condition and under isolation treatment. The connection between these COVID-19 cases is under investigation.
      
     The hospital would continue to closely monitor the health condition of other patients and maintain communication with the CHP about the latest situation.

Ends/Sunday, August 9, 2020
Issued at HKT 23:59

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