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Prince of Wales Hospital announces a patient preliminarily confirmed positive to COVID-19
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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for the Prince of Wales Hospital(PWH) made the following announcement today (December 9) regarding an inpatient confirmed preliminarily positive for COVID-19:
      
     A 79-year-old female patient attended the Accident and Emergency Department on November 30 due to diarrhea and hypoglycemia. She was admitted to the medical surveillance ward and arranged to take nasopharyngeal swab and throat swab for COVID-19 test. The result was negative. The patient was transferred to a general ward for treatment on the next day (December 1).
      
     The patient later presented with persistent fever. She was transferred to an isolation room in the general ward and arranged to undergo COVID-19 test again on December 8. The result was positive. The patient is now being treated in the isolation ward with stable condition.
      
     Upon learning the patient's test result, the hospital infection control team conducted investigation to trace the healthcare workers and patients who had been in contact with the patient. 10 patients who had stayed in the same cubicle in the general ward with the patient concerned and four visitors who visited a critically ill patient in the same cubicle on compassionate ground were identified as close contacts. Among them, three of the patients have been transferred to the hospital's isolation wards while one patient was admitted to the isolation ward of the Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital. COVID-19 tests have been arranged for these patients and the results were negative; the other six patients who have already been discharged and the four visitors have been arranged to undergo quarantine. Another 80 patients who have stayed in the same ward have been classified as other contacts. COVID-19 tests and medical surveillance will be arranged for them.
      
     The confirmed case had not received any high risk medical procedures during her hospital stay except taking nasopharyngeal swab and throat swab for COVID-19 test. Hospital staff had been wearing appropriate personal protective equipment in accordance with the infection control guidelines while providing treatment and care to the patient. No staff member has been identified as a close contact. As a precautionary measure, the Hospital will arrange COVID-19 tests and medical surveillance for all staff members who had visited the ward concerned.
      
     The hospital has stopped admitting patients to the ward concerned and thorough disinfection has been arranged. The hospital would continue to closely monitor the health of the patients and staff and communicate with the Centre for Health Protection on the latest progress.
 
Ends/Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Issued at HKT 21:15
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