旅遊旺季出遊要留神 感染新冠病毒非傷風感冒可比

自新冠疫情放緩後，香港人「報復式」旅行的氣氛有增無減，不論長短假期，香港機場、高鐵站、羅湖等出入境口岸依然人頭湧湧。¹ 呼吸系統科專科曹忠豪醫生直言，新冠病毒仍然肆虐全球，近年還出現了新變異株，令傳播及感染風險增加。^2–4 但不少人認為新冠病毒和傷風感冒無異。⁵ 曹醫生提醒市民，新冠病毒新變異株仍具一定殺傷力，建議高風險人士必須提高警覺，感染後盡早求醫，對症下藥，以減低感染後出現重症的風險。^6–10 

出遊易感染 宜打疫苗防重症

不論是旅遊旺季或淡季，出遊外地其實也會增加病毒傳播的機會，造成交叉感染，^11,12 加上熱門旅行地點如東南亞、中日韓等地，新冠疫情威脅並沒完全解除，不少人不以為意，讓病毒有機可乘。^13–17 曹醫生表示，不少人感染新冠肺炎後，症狀的確相對輕微，^10,18 但長者或長期病患人士等高危一族抵抗力一般較低，感染新冠病毒後症狀尤其嚴重，患上重症的比率亦較一般人高。¹⁹ 曹醫生續指出，接種疫苗雖然不能完全防止感染病毒，²⁰ 但能夠有效減少重症的發生以及死亡風險，²¹ 故建議高危人士接種新冠疫苗加強劑保障自己。^9,19

▲ 呼吸系統科專科曹忠豪醫生指出新冠病毒部分症狀雖與傷風感冒相似，²²,²³ 但其傳染期更長，傳播速度亦更快，併發重症的機會更高。²⁴

新冠與傷風感冒症狀相似 市民易錯失治療黃金期

復常後市民的抗疫意識降低，²⁵ 加上外遊氣氛熾熱，¹ 確實多了首次感染的個案求診。曹醫生坦言，當中更有曾多次感染的病人認為症狀輕微而掉以輕心，因此延誤求醫。²⁶ 

「新冠病毒感染與感冒部分症狀相似，如發燒、喉嚨痛及流鼻水等，^22,23 但其傳染期更長，傳播速度亦比一般感冒快，併發重症的機會更高²⁴；部分患者亦會出現『長新冠』症狀，包括持續疲倦、氣促、頭痛等。^27,28 」

曹醫生表示，他有一名患有長期病的病人，感染新冠後未有立即求診，錯過了前5日的治療黃金期。²⁹ 其後病人情況急轉直下，雙肺感染肺炎，需要入院治療。可見高危人士一旦延誤診治，後果可以非常嚴重。¹⁹ 因此，市民對新冠病毒應時刻保持警覺。一般而言，透過快速抗原測試進行檢測，便可有效確診。³⁰ 若出現新冠症狀，應盡快求醫並接受治療以及早控制病情，同時避免感染他人。^10,31

新冠口服藥 減低死亡及重症的風險 

感染新冠後，從輕症惡化到重症的時間可以非常迅速，因此必須抓緊治療的黃金時間。^10,32 目前，本港有兩種註冊新冠口服藥物可以幫患者控制病情，^29,33 建議高危人士，如長者及長期病患人士（例如心血管疾病、糖尿病等）在感染新冠後服用。^33–35「以上人士一旦確診患有新冠肺炎，到合資格的私家診所或公立醫院，經醫生診斷可免費獲得處方新冠口服藥；而其他人士亦可自費獲得藥物。」^33,36,37 曹醫生續指，這兩種新冠口服藥物都能提供有效治療，醫生主要根據病人的病情、長期病史，以及正在服用藥物等因素，為病人處方合適的新冠口服藥物。^29,33

根據香港大學和中文大學醫學院的研究，服用新冠口服藥物後，住院患者的死亡風險降低超過70%，而門診患者因重症入院次數也減少了近90%。³⁸ 新冠口服藥物可以阻止冠狀病毒自我複製，減低體內病毒數量並有效預防重症。³⁹ 而市面上的普通感冒藥，如撲熱息痛只能用於紓緩病徵，並不能阻止病毒數量的增長。^10,40,41現時美國疾病管制與預防中心指引亦建議有新冠症狀及50歲或以上人士，或者有高風險出現重症的人士，應於出現病徵5日内服用新冠口服藥物，勿錯失治療黃金期。^19,34

▲ 呼吸系統科專科曹忠豪醫生 

以上資訊由輝瑞香港提供
PP-C1D-HKG-0041 July 2024

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