The epidemiology of COVID-19 cases and the successful containment strategy in Hong Kong–January to May 2020

Autor: Chau Kuen Yonnie Lam, Shuk Kwan Chuang, Yung Wai Desmond Chan, Tin Wai Winnie Lau, Ka Wing Albert Au, Chi Mei Emily Leung, Chi Hong Wong, Tsz Sum Lam, Wing Hang Lam, Ho Yeung Lam, Ka Hing Wong
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Male
0301 basic medicine
contact tracing
Disease Outbreaks
0302 clinical medicine
Communicable Diseases
Imported
Pandemic
Epidemiology
Case fatality rate
030212 general & internal medicine
Child
enhanced surveillance
Travel
quarantine
General Medicine
Middle Aged
Hospitalization
Infectious Diseases
Child
Preschool
Preparedness
Hong Kong
Female
Public Health
Coronavirus Infections
Travel-Related Illness
Adult
Microbiology (medical)
Mainland China
medicine.medical_specialty
Adolescent
Pneumonia
Viral
030106 microbiology
novel coronavirus
public health intervention
Article
lcsh:Infectious and parasitic diseases
Betacoronavirus
Young Adult
03 medical and health sciences
Environmental health
medicine
Humans
lcsh:RC109-216
Pandemics
Aged
SARS-CoV-2
business.industry
Public health
Infant
Newborn
COVID-19
Infant
Outbreak
business
Contact tracing
Zdroj: International Journal of Infectious Diseases
International Journal of Infectious Diseases, Vol 98, Iss, Pp 51-58 (2020)
ISSN: 1201-9712
Popis: Highlights • Hong Kong reported more than 1000 COVID-19 cases between January and May 2020. • The COVID-19 epidemic in Hong Kong was featured by several waves of imported cases followed by limited local transmissions. • A series of public health intervention have been implemented in Hong Kong in response to the local and overseas disease situations. • The multi-pronged strategy of border control, social distancing, enhanced surveillance and contact tracing resulted in the successful prevention of community-wide outbreak and containment of the epidemic in Hong Kong.
Background Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region of China, recorded its first confirmed Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case on 23 January 2020. We reviewed the case epidemiology and the various public health measures implemented from January to May 2020. Method We described and compared the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the cases recorded in different phases of the epidemic and reviewed the effectiveness of the public health measures implemented using the changes in the daily number of confirmed cases and the interval from symptom onset to hospital admission. Results Between January and May 2020, 1084 confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported, about 70% of which had travel history during the incubation period. The case fatality ratio was 0.4%. The local epidemic progressed through four phases: (i) preparedness and imported infection from mainland China, (ii) local transmission, (iii) imported infection from overseas countries associated with local transmission, and (iv) controlled imported infection with limited local transmission, with an eventual reduction of daily case number and minimization of onset-to-admission interval. Various public health measures, including enhanced surveillance, border control and social distancing, were introduced in phases in response to the prevailing local and global situations. Discussion Hong Kong’s overall containment strategy has led to a stabilization of number of cases and absence of community-wide outbreak in the 4.5 months since the reporting of the first case. Hong Kong’s strategy of containment might serve as an example for future planning of preparedness and response against novel infectious agents.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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