One more arrival from the United States has tested positive for COVID-19, Macau’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced yesterday.
The centre classified the case as imported and asymptomatic, because of which it has not been added to Macau’s novel coronavirus tally, which therefore remains at 78.
The centre identified the male patient as a 62-year-old local resident who received three shots of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine developed by US-company Moderna, in February, March and November respectively.
According to a statement by the centre, the man tested negative for COVID-19 in a nucleic acid test (NAT) in the US on Christmas Eve. He flew from Los Angeles to Singapore on Christmas Day and took a connecting flight from Singapore to Macau on Monday where he tested positive for the novel coronavirus upon arrival.
The centre said that at the time of its statement, which was released yesterday morning, the patient did not show any suspected COVID-19 symptoms. Consequently, the statement said, the case has not been added to Macau’s COVID-19 tally.
“After considering the man’s epidemiological history, clinical conditions and [COVID-19] test results, his condition has been classified as an imported and asymptomatic case, because of which it has not been classified as a confirmed COVID-19 case for Macau,” the statement said.
Yesterday’s statement did not identify the patient’s COVID-19 variant. The Health Bureau (SSM) is yet to announce the result of its viral genome sequencing which will indicate whether the patient has been infected with Omicron or other variants.
Macau confirmed its first Omicron variant case on Monday, when its COVID-19 tally rose to 78. The patient, a 23-year-old local resident studying in New York, also arrived in Macau from the US via Singapore. He has meanwhile come down with pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus.
The Macau Health Bureau started early this month to separately classify and announce asymptomatic COVID-19 cases and confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Before the new classification scheme that started early this month, the Health Bureau had classified all those who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus in a nucleic acid test (NAT) as confirmed COVID-19 patients since the pandemic which started early last year – regardless of whether they had come down with COVID-19 symptoms, unlike the mainland health authorities which have always separately classified asymptomatic COVID-19 cases and confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Macau confirmed its first novel coronavirus case on January 22 last year. No COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Macau.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, foreign nationals without a Macau ID card have, in general, been barred from entering the city since March last year. Only a few exceptions have been granted.
Boy’s myocarditis caused by BioNTech jab
Meanwhile, last week’s regular press conference by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced that the Health Bureau’s special working group tasked with assessing serious post-COVID-19 vaccination adverse events had concluded that a 14-year-old boy’s myocarditis case which was reported on December 18 was caused by his BioNTech vaccination.
Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle.
The 14-year-old boy was diagnosed with acute myocarditis a few days after receiving his second BioNTech mRNA jab.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that the latest findings of research studies have indicated the possible causal relationship between mRNA vaccinations and myocarditis, mostly occurring among young males following their second jab.
Last week’s press conference said that the working group had confirmed the causal relationship between the boy’s myocarditis and his BioNTech vaccination.
The Health Bureau has advised BioNTech vaccinees to avoid intensive exercise and to rest more often within a week after receiving their jabs.
People queue to be tested for COVID-19 at a street-side testing booth in New York earlier this month. Photo: AFP
