Five million Hongkongers are expected to volunteer for citywide Covid-19 testing, food and health secretary Sophia Chan Siu-chee said. The innovation and technology bureau will design a registration system for signing up participants but discussions are still going on over whether to use deep throat saliva or throat swab samples. The department of health's tests involving buildings with confirmed cases saw a participation rate of 70 to 80 percent," Chan said. She said public labs tested around 10,000 samples a day over the past two weeks, but the massive demand created by citywide testing would rely on three mainland institutions. Infectious disease expert Joseph Tsang Kay-yan from the Hong Kong Medical Association said throat swab samples should be taken by medics as the process requires inserting a cotton swab deep into the throat until it touches the uvula and tonsils.

Source: The Standard August 10, 2020 19:07 UTC