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Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital announces a preliminary positive case of COVID-19 infection
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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH) today (August 23) made the following announcement concerning a preliminary positive case of COVID-19 infection:
      
     A 44-year-old female patient was admitted to a medical ward of PYNEH on July 27 for relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) requiring chemotherapy treatment. She was tested negative for COVID-19 upon admission. She then developed persistent fever and was diagnosed of bacterial infections during hospitalisation. Antibiotic treatment and chemotherapy were given. She started to have mild respiratory symptoms and chest infection on August 13. Due to her AML condition, she was arranged to stay in a single room from August 18 to 20. In view of the persistent fever, viral testing was conducted again for the patient on August 22 and her deep throat saliva specimen was tested preliminarily positive for COVID-19. The patient is now in stable condition under isolation treatment.
      
     The hospital was informed by the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) today that the concerned patient was one of the household close contacts of a male patient earlier confirmed with COVID-19 infection (case number: 2979). 
      
     The hospital's infection control team immediately conducted contact tracing upon the test result and no COVID-19 confirmed case is found in the medical wards which the female patient concerned stayed in. In addition, 52 patients who had stayed in the same cubicle of the medical ward with the concerned patient were classified as close contact. Among them, 17 patients are still staying in the hospital or Tung Wah Eastern Hospital. Six of them have been isolated and tested negative to COVID-19, while the rest will be arranged for viral testing. The hospital will also follow up closely with CHP on the required quarantine arrangement of the remaining 35 discharged patients.
      
     No aerosol generating procedure has been performed for the female patient in general wards. All healthcare workers who provided treatment and care to the patient concerned were equipped with appropriate personal protective equipment in accordance with the infection control guidelines of the Hospital Authority and none is classified as a close contact. As a precautionary measure, the hospital will arrange viral tests and medical surveillance for staff members concerned.
      
     The hospital had arranged thorough cleansing and disinfection in the medical ward concerned. Patient admission and discharge of the concerned ward has been suspended. The hospital would continue to closely monitor the health condition of the staff and other patients and maintain communication with CHP about the latest situation.
 
Ends/Sunday, August 23, 2020
Issued at HKT 20:32
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