Professor Gabriel Leung (right), Dean of HKU Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine (HKUMed) and Chief Scientific Officer of the Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health (D24H) together with Professor Joseph Wu, Professor of Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health of HKUMed and Lead Scientist of D24H, presented the updates on modelling the Omicron Fifth Wave in a press conference held by HKUMed today (March 22, 2022). According to the latest estimations from their research team, there has been over 4.4 million infection cases in Hong Kong amid the fifth wave of COVID-19 accounting for approximately 60% of Hong Kong’s population (totaled around 7.4 million by the end of 2021).
The research team’s mathematics modeling predicted that the daily infection figures will drop into three digits on April 21, the day the Hong Kong government has expected to ease pandemic-control measures within the city.
Professor Leung also commented that if the authorities choose to pursue a dynamic zero-Covid approach, the mass COVID testing will be necessary and should be carried out more than three times. However, if the government’s pandemic strategy will be shifted to reduction of severe cases, deaths, as well as hospital strain, the authorities will no longer have to screen out every single carrier of COVID in the city.
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To review press conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TfzEmQezfw
Original HKUMed Press Release: https://www.med.hku.hk/en/news/press/20220322-updates-on-modelling-the-omicron-fifth-wave
News coverage:
RTHK – https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1640253-20220322.htm
Commercial Radio Hong Kong – https://www.881903.com/news/local/2433834
Hong Kong Economic Times – https://bit.ly/3L7xdEP
Now News – https://news.now.com/home/local/player?newsId=470341
Headline Daily – https://bit.ly/3NmoRLx
HK01 – https://bit.ly/351fMGz