Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Image : Hung Hom Market on 4 August 2020. By Yang Boxian, Ming Pao
The number of confirmed covid cases in Hong Kong is less than 100 for the second consecutive day. The number of cases increased by 80 on 4 August 2020, but the virus SARS-CoV-2 (covi, in short) outbreaks in two wet markets were revealed. The Hung Hom and To Kwa Wan markets under the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department on 4 August 2020 found 17 confirmed cases. Among these cases, six involve fishmongers.
Markets closed for disinfection
Zhang Zhujun, Director of the Infectious Diseases Division of the Centre for Health and Protection (CHP), said that the outbreaks in Wuhan and Beijing markets involved fish stalls. The cases in Hong Kong have thus caused worry. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department closed the two markets early for disinfection.
Yuan Guoyong on the possibilities of viral transmission
An expert from the University of Hong Kong, Yuan Guoyong, came to investigate and believed that the infections may be due to the wetness and low temperature of the fish stalls, the long survival time and spread of covi by humans, rats etc., or the cross-infection of fishmongers eating and drinking together. Yuan also said that once the market virus shows super-spread, the epidemic will easily rebound. He urged the public to reduce visit frequencies to the markets and sanitize their hands when entering and leaving the markets.
Diagnosed less than 100 cases for two consecutive days
15 cases so far in Hung Hom Market, 4 fish stalls
There were 80 confirmed cases in Hong Kong yesterday, including 5 imported cases, 43 were related to earlier cases, 32 were of unknown origin, and about 50 were initially confirmed. The newly confirmed cases include two fishmongers in the Hung Hom Market. Together with the confirmed cases recently, there are 15 confirmed cases in the Hung Hom Market, of which 10 were market employees, 4 were fishmongers, involving 4 fish stalls, and the remaining confirmed cases included vendors of dry goods stalls and cleaners etc. A fishmonger in To Kwa Wan Market was also diagnosed yesterday, and a total of two fishmongers have been diagnosed.
Disinfection of two markets continues to close today and tomorrow
According to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, as of the 3 August 2020, about 3,300 stalls and employees in the market have been tested, of which 5 samples were positive, involving the Hung Hom Market and the To Kwa Wan Market.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department closed two markets early at 5 pm yesterday. The Chair Professor of the Department of Microbiology, Hong Kong University, Yuan Guoyong, visited the scene. His team collected environmental samples from fish stall chopping boards, water, scales, cashiers, etc., but no aquatic products were found for testing. The two markets continue to close on 5 and 6 August 2020, awaiting laboratory results.
Yuan : Fish stall dampness and coldness are beneficial to the survival of the virus, which is most likely to be spread by humans and rats
Yuan Guoyong said that the outbreaks in Wuhan Huanan Seafood Market, Beijing Xinfadi Wholesale Market and Dalian all involve fish stalls, not wildlife such as bats. Therefore, the authorities are concerned about the multiple confirmed cases of fish stalls in local markets. He estimated that the fish stalls in the market have multiple transmission possibilities. The most likely cause is that the infected person brings SARS-CoV-2 into the market. The patient’s feces and saliva carry covi. The fish stalls are moist and cold, so covi can survive more than seven days. Covi can be spread through hand contact, rats, etc. and the fishmongers may infect one another when they eat and drink together.
Cats may be infected by humans and spread covi in the markets
Yuan Guoyong said that it is also possible that cats in the market were infected. The cats continued to walk around the market, especially around the fish stalls, spreading the virus. He said that there were no cats in the two markets. After he was told that there were cats in the Hung Hom market, he asked his staff to catch the cats for inspection, but told him not to kill the cats because they are good for the market. He also said that fish and aquatic products may also be infected with the virus, but the aquatic products are cold-blooded animals, and viral infection may be minimal. The other channel possibility may be airborne transmission but he observed that the Hung Hom market has high ceilings and strong fans, and To Kwa Wan market has air-conditioners. He believes that airborne transmission may be minimal.
Easy for the virus to spread in restaurants
Yuan Guoyong said that the epidemic outbreaks in the markets are expected. The most common outbreak sites include restaurants and wet markets. Because masks are usually removed in restaurants, the wet markets are hot, and many people do not wear masks, they can easily spread . Cash transactions are more likely to spread the virus through hand contact. Yuan also said, "It seems that there is a trend in the family (the number of new confirmed diagnoses) is falling, but everyone is not happy to live. As long as there is super spread in the market, nursing homes or restaurants, it is easy for the epidemic to rebound."
The seafood industry suspects non-fishing vessels enter Hong Kong with covi
The crew of fishing vessels and fishing boats, including mainland fishermen who pass through Hong Kong, are exempt from quarantine. Li Caihua, chairman of the Hong Kong Seafood Federation, said that it is currently in the fishing moratorium and that it is impossible for fishing boats to bring the virus into Hong Kong. He continued that most of the aquatic products supplied to Hong Kong are farmed in the People's Republic of China (PRC), mainly through the Wenjindu and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge land routes, and the remaining small quantities of aquatic products are transported to Hong Kong by air and ship. The marine aquatic products are mainly shipped from Hong Kong to Malaysia and Indonesia. The PRC crews are mainly working on the ships. As they are not allowed to go ashore in other places and Hong Kong, and come to Hong Kong once every 8 to 10 days, Li believes that covi is not brought by them to Hong Kong.
Trajectory of Hung Hom and To Kwa Wan market staff
Li Caihua said that there are 10 to 20 fish stalls in the Hung Hom and To Kwa Wan markets respectively. The staff mainly drive to the Aberdeen Seafood Wholesale Market to collect aquatic products and then transport them back to the market. As far as he knows, the market in Hung Hom is hot and scorching, and some stall vendors may not wear good masks. As for why there are no aquatic products available for testing in the Hung Hom Market, Li estimated that because the stallholders knew that the markets were about to suspend operations, only a small amount of aquatic products were purchased and all of them were sold.
Source : Ming Pao
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