Drug alert over elderly patients

Wallis Wang

People should keep a close eye on the use of Covid-19 medication by the elderly to ensure they do not get drugs mixed up or end treatment courses too early.

A doctor, Edmond Lam Wing-wo, said yesterday 10 to 20 percent of the elderly at private clinics refused to take oral anti-Covid drugs due to concerns over side effects.

"I have found that even very old patients do not suffer from side-effects. Some of them only had mild diarrhea or feel a little unwell at most," Lam said.

He found some elderly would stop taking the drugs once symptoms disappeared or their tests came up negative before the treatment is completed. "I reminded them not to do that as an infection may return if we fail to fully suppress it."

Lam also said some drugs, including cholesterol-lowering drugs and those that treat heart diseases, can affect the effectiveness of Covid drugs and so their use should be suspended.

Hong Kong yesterday saw 10,021 cases - 9,869 local infections and 152 imported cases - and eight deaths.

The Centre for Health Protection's Albert Au Ka-wing urged people to reduce family gatherings during the Mid-Autumn Festival on Saturday as daily caseloads were increasing.

Those with Covid symptoms should not attend gatherings, he said, adding they should undergo PCR tests even if they test negative in rapid tests.

Au said 3,444 cases were reported from 1,169 schools over the weekend, involving 2,864 students and 580 teaching staff.

He said the higher infection count at schools was within expectations, but the government does not want to suspend face-to-face classes at all schools.

Classes at 12 outbreak schools were axed for a week.

Six elderly homes and one disabled home saw eight cases.

T he New People's Party Judy Chan Ka-pui is the latest member of the Legislative Council to be infected, bringing the fifth-wave count to 15 for Legco.