Health official in Hong Kong are working with several agencies to determine whether coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) is subject of spreading through edifice via airing and piping organisation .
The investigating comes after the city’sCenter for Health Protection(CHP ) name a 62 - class - old woman with the viral disease . It was attain that a vent pipe near her toilet was “ vary ” without landlord license , remind a thoroughgoing hunt of the 34 - unitHong Mei Houseapartment construction . Officials have since sealed the blowhole .
Two other residents were found to be infected with COVID-19 , lend the Hong Kong aggregate to more than 40 confirmed causa . One hundred other occupier from the complex were sent to quarantine . ( As of February 11 , the World Health Organizationreportsthat there are more than 43,000 case worldwide . ) As a precautional beat , wellness officials monish others hold out in the apartment construction to keep window shut and avoid turning on fan and ventilation systems when using the toilet .
“ The world is powerfully urged to assert at all times strict personal and environmental hygienics which is key to personal protection against infection and prevention of the cattle ranch of the disease in the community , ” said a CHP voice in astatement .
“ As for menage environmental hygiene , members of the public are advised to maintain drainage pipage properly and on a regular basis pour water into drain outlets ( U - trap ) ; after using the toilet , they should put the toilet lid down before scour to void spreading germs . "
Severe incisive respiratory syndrome ( SARS ) , another coronavirus outbreak that strike part of the earth in 2003 , was plant to spread through the Amoy Gardens apartment complex in China through ventilation and shoot systems originating in the bathroom . This occurred in two ways , according to a study published in theJournal of the Royal Society of Medicine . First , respiratory droplets from polluted someone were believed to mix with water vapor from exhibitor , spreading throughout the coordination compound by fans and ventilation systems . secondly , U - shaped tube under sinks , do it collectively as “ u - traps ” , act as reservoirs for the computer virus . U - maw mean to continue fluid to prevent toilet gun from entering the edifice instead may have resulted in the virus spread out back into the arrangement . Much like SARS , COVID-19 is believed to be diffuse through middleman with respiratory droplets andfeces .
However , the Hong Kong Free Pressreportsthat an expert with the University of Kong ’s Department of Microbiology says that the two confirm Tsing Yi fount are not alike and that the U - shaped water traps at Hong Mei were working .
Although the World Health Organizationreportsthat raw casing in China are stabilizing , the COVID-19 dying toll has already exceeded that of SARS . Currently , people enter Hong Kong from mainland China are required to undergo a 14 - day quarantine and residents are advised to “ go out less and shrink societal activities . ” CHPsaysit is still investigating the situation and residents are encouraged to maintain drainage pipes properly and on a regular basis to check environmental hygiene . After using the toilet , resident should also put the toilet lid down before flushing to avoid spread the computer virus .
