HONG KONG, March 4 (Xinhua) -- A team of mainland health experts led by Liang Wannian, head of the COVID-19 response expert panel under China's National Health Commission, agreed that reducing the mortality in severe cases is the top priority of the current anti-epidemic efforts in Hong Kong.
The next step should be to focus on key groups, identify risks with precision, strengthen inter-department collaboration, speed up information integration and exert utmost efforts to save lives.
When meeting the press on Thursday, Liang elaborated on what the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) should do next to secure a final victory against the raging fifth wave of infections. Here are some key points of his suggestions.
MAINLAND EXPERIENCE
Hong Kong's current anti-epidemic efforts should focus on reducing infections and mortality in the critically ill, Liang told reporters, noting that the city's limited resources and energy should be directed to the priorities.
He suggested learning from Wuhan's experience in reducing severe case fatalities, noting that patients in severe or critical conditions should be treated in designated hospitals by top-level doctors and with all necessary resources guaranteed.
"The adoption of this approach can significantly bring down mortality," Liang said, adding that less deaths are very important to stabilize the society and people's morale.
A large number of mildly ill patients should be admitted to community isolation facilities, where they are treated through various methods, including traditional Chinese medicine, to ease patients' fear and increase their confidence in overcoming the disease, he added.
The HKSAR government is taking a series of active measures to control the epidemic and doing its best to protect the health and lives of Hong Kong people, which has played a positive role in maintaining stability in Hong Kong, Liang said.
IDENTIFY RISKS
Liang suggested that the next step of anti-epidemic measures should focus on key groups, regions and facilities. This requires joint discussions between mainland and Hong Kong experts to see which measures are to be implemented immediately, how large the coverage is, and how to translate them into concrete actions.
He said that about 94 percent of the fatal cases were senior residents aged 60 or above, and a significant proportion of them were living in elderly care homes. The vaccination rate among the elderly who died was far below the average vaccination rate in Hong Kong.
An important task at hand is to devise more targeted and effective measures such as increasing vaccination coverage among and enhancing monitoring of the elderly residents, he said.
As for regions and facilities, a core task of Hong Kong's current prevention and control work is to identify the risks of each site and take appropriate measures according to the different risk levels, he noted.
In addition, extra attention should be paid to the anti-epidemic work of Hong Kong's disciplined services, such as the police and fire services, as well the public utilities, Liang stressed.
UNITY FOR VICTORY
Liang said that although the fifth wave is still rapidly spreading, Hong Kong has strong medical resources and urban management capabilities.
Hong Kong also has staunch support of the central government, the HKSAR government's strong leadership, and community solidarity -- all favorable conditions to beat the outbreak, he added.
The expert said the Hong Kong community has been widely mobilized in the fight against COVID-19, including the HKSAR government, medical institutions, all sectors of society and the general public. The Hong Kong people are doing a good job in wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and reducing non-essential outdoor activities.
"The HKSAR government bears the main responsibility in fighting the epidemic, and the people of Hong Kong are the main force," Liang said. "With unity and confidence, the Hong Kong society is bound to beat the epidemic." ■
