No crisis ahead: Hong Kong experts agree Covid-19 spike not as serious as fifth wave, no need for harsh measures
- Compared to earlier this year, far fewer patients are in hospital, critically ill or dying
- Convinced that vaccination has helped safeguard Hongkongers, experts urge more to get their jabs
When Hong Kong topped 10,000 Covid-19 infections in a single day last week, anxious residents were left wondering how bad the latest surge would be.
Was the city on the brink of seeing overcrowded hospitals and a high death toll and the return of strict pandemic restrictions, just like earlier this year when the fifth wave of infections struck?
Health experts and researchers have told the Post they do not expect anything as dire, emphasising that the current situation was unlike what happened earlier in several ways.
Recent infections have not shot up as rapidly, the number of deaths was much lower and higher vaccination rates in the community were having a positive effect.
Respiratory medicine expert Dr Leung Chi-chiu went so far as to say he was “certain” the latest surge would not be as serious as in March, when infections peaked at 58,757 on a single day.
He said there was a level of immunity in the population as so many residents had already had Covid-19, and in terms of managing the surge, the government was better prepared this time.