Asia Sees Covid-19 Surge Again As Hong Kong, Singapore Report Fresh Cases. Should You Be Worried?
New Covid Wave In Asia: In Hong Kong, the virus' activity has reached a "quite high" level. The surge in cases has signalled a resurgent wave across Asia.
New Covid Wave In Asia: Health authorities in the densely populated financial hubs of Hong Kong and Singapore are sounding the alarm as Covid-19 infections are spiking. The surge in cases has signalled a resurgent wave across Asia.
Covid Cases In Hong Kong
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In Hong Kong, the virus’ activity has reached a “quite high" level, according to Albert Au, head of the Communicable Disease Branch of the city’s Center for Health Protection. He said that the percentage of respiratory samples testing positive for Covid-19 has hit a year-high.
Data from the center reveals a concerning rise in severe cases, including deaths, reaching their highest point in approximately a year, with 31 reported in the week ending May 3. While the current resurgence has yet to reach the peak infection levels of the past two years, indicators such as increasing viral load in sewage water and a rise in Covid-related medical consultations and hospitalizations suggest active community spread within the city of over 7 million residents.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan cancelled his upcoming concerts in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, originally scheduled for later this week, after contracting Covid-19, according to a post on the concert’s official Weibo account.
Singapore On High Alert As Cases Rise
Singapore is also on high alert as the city-state’s health ministry issued its first update on infection numbers in almost a year this month, revealing a significant 28 percent jump in estimated cases to 14,200 in the week ending May 3, compared to the preceding seven days. Daily hospitalizations also saw a roughly 30 percent increase.
While factors such as waning population immunity could be contributing to the increase, Singapore’s health ministry stated that there is currently “no indication that the circulating variants are more transmissible — or cause more severe cases — than during the pandemic."
Why This Covid Resurgence Is Worrisome?
In a departure from typical respiratory virus behavior, which often sees increased activity during colder months, this Covid-19 resurgence as the Northern Hemisphere enters summer underscores the virus’s ability to cause widespread illness even in hot weather.
What About Other Countries In Asia?
Data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that China is also on track to experience a Covid-19 wave reaching the summer peak observed last year. The Covid test positivity rate among patients seeking diagnoses at hospitals across mainland China more than doubled in the five weeks leading up to May 4.
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control reported two cluster outbreaks this year, with cases increasing following April’s annual Songkran festival.
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