The findings of the “Questionnaire on COVID-19 Infection in Macau” conducted by a research team from Macau University of Science and Technology’s (MUST) Faculty of Innovation Engineering show that between December 10 and yesterday, about 70 percent of the 2,553 respondents said they had been infected with COVID-19, of whom the nucleic acid test (NAT) or rapid antigen test (RAT) of nearly 37 percent were now negative.
The findings point out that the transmission of the COVID-19 wave reached its highest point last Friday – 256 infectees, or 10 percent of the respondents.
According to the findings, more than half of the infected patients said that their NAT or RAT results were positive for five to 10 days and eight percent said that they tested positive for one to three days, while only two percent tested positive for over 10 days. The higher the age group, the longer the course of the disease, the findings show. In addition, more than 70 percent said they had developed symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, dry throat and sore throat, while about 17 percent said they lost their sense of smell for a period of time.
The research team pointed out that Macau should now be in the plateau period of the peak of severe cases, believing that it will last for two to three weeks in total during which the medical system will be under “great pressure”.
The research team said it believed that the large-scale movement of people caused by the peak tourist season of the upcoming Chinese New Year and the easing of travel restrictions between Hong Kong and Macau would cause the current COVID-19 wave to rebound next month. Consequently, the research team urged the government to continuously strengthen its prevention and treatment system for severe cases, while saving enough medical resources to cope with the possible resurgence of the COVID-19 wave.
In order to effectively avoid the possibility of second infections that may occur in the next three to six months, the research team also urged the government to set up a comprehensive system for monitoring and treating severe cases when tackling possible COVID-19 peaks in the future.
This graph taken from the “Questionnaire on COVID-19 Infection in Macau” by a research team from the private Macau University of Science and Technology’s (MUST) Faculty of Innovation Engineering yesterday shows the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in Macau between December 10-28.
