HKU in the news (Apr 9-Apr 15)

Apr 15 HKUMed research shows nearly half Of COVID-19 Infections occurred before symptoms (link)

Apr 15 HKUMed study shows that stroke patients are presenting to hospitals one hour later during COVID-19, potentially jeopardising the patients’ eligibility for treatments and affecting the outcome (link)

Apr 14 HKU microbiologist Dr Ho Pak-leung believes that all arrivals should be tested and stay in test centres at the AsiaWorld-Expo or in nearby hotels until when the tests of deep-throat saliva specimens are negative (Professor Ho Pak-leung) (link)

Apr 13 HKU clinical professor in pathology thinks the vaccines for COVID-19 should not be rushed (Professor John Nicholls) (link)

Apr 13 HKU microbiologist Dr Ho Pak-leung warns that the recent drop in Covid-19 cases could be due to the fewer number of tests being conducted during Easter public holidays (Professor Ho Pak-leung) (link)

Apr 13 HKU microbiologist Dr Ho Pak-leung warns Hong Kong residents that they “should not even consider overseas travel during the summer holidays,” even as late as August (Professor Ho Pak-leung) (link)

Apr 12 HKU study reveals COVID-19 can produce more than three times as many pathogens than Sars strain, replicating 100 times within 48 hours (Dr Chu Hin, Professor Yuen Kwok-yun) (link)

Apr 11 HKU Microbiologists carry out groundbreaking research comparing how the new coronavirus and the Sars virus act in human lungs, and come to the conclusion that the new virus will disrupt life in the the city for months (Professor Yuen Kwok-yun) (link)

Apr 11 HKU Dean of Medicine believes says effective reproduction number (Rt) is a more reliable measure than basic reproduction number (R0) because it varies according to control measures that are put in place to drive down transmission such as social distancing (Professor Gabriel Leung) (link)

Apr 10 HKU Dean of Medicine participates in a virtual UK parliamentary committee meeting, commenting the foundation of Hong Kong’s success in containing the epidemic is aggressive testing backed up by quarantining and tech-enabled contact tracing since January (Professor Gabriel Leung) (link)

Apr 9 HKU journalism researcher comments that the pandemic has accelerated the introduction of new legislations or tougher laws on ‘fake news’ because a crackdown can be perceived as protecting public health, rather than infringing on freedom of speech (Professor Masato Kajimoto) (link)

Apr 9 HKU clinical professor in pathology comments that the virus was sensitive to heat, surviving and transmitting better in colder weather, hence would give countries in the northern hemisphere a respite from the virus in the coming summer months (Professor John Nicholls) (link)