Hong Kong sees more deaths as people shun A&E during pandemic

Emergency rooms in hospitals have seen a drop in attendance amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and delayed treatment increased the city's death rate, according to a University of Hong Kong study. 

Researchers found the number of attendees at the accident and emergency department of 18 public hospitals to have decreased by 27 percent between January and August last year -- when Hong Kong was hit by the first three waves of Covid-19 -- compared to the same period in 2019. 

At the same time, the mortality rate in Hong Kong went up from 2 percent to 2.9 percent.  

The university said that the increase in death was observed in both men and women, in those older than 45 and across all risk categories and social classes. 

"There were also significant increases in mortality among patients with epilepsy, lower respiratory tract infection, airway disease, diabetes, mental disorder, chronic kidney disease, trauma, coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer and sepsis," researchers said. 

Abraham Wai Ka-chung, co-leader of the research, said that the reduction in emergency department attendance may be a result of public fear of being infected with Covid-19, of being isolated from family and friends, or of taking up 'unnecessary' hospital beds. 

He continued that the government and media messages that emphasize the pandemic may have discouraged patients from seeking timely and optimal management of their chronic diseases and other health conditions. 

In addition, Wai added that some people might have serious concerns that the public healthcare system would be overloaded, and hence refrained from visiting the emergency department. 

He called for patients in need to seek emergency care without delay: "In fact, since the early stages of the pandemic, our local hospitals have responded well to the pandemic. They have sufficient capacity to manage seriously ill patients."