New study findings will not change procedures for now

The existing procedures in Macau for preventing the spread of the virus will not be immediately revised because of the recent findings of Chinese epidemiologist and pulmonologist Zhong Nanshan and his team indicating the incubation period of the novel coronavirus could last as long as 24 days.
So said the Coordinator of the New Coronavirus Contingency Coordination Center, Leong Iek Hou, who stressed during yesterday’s daily press conference to update the public on the coronavirus that the existing procedures are working and here to stay for the time being.
Macau health authorities will continue to follow the diagnostic criteria for the virus issued by the National Health Commission of China.
“If we do a test to the nasal discharge and if two consecutive tests give negative results, the patient meets the conditions to be released from the hospital. If, at the country level, the health authorities decide on new instructions or guidelines, we will apply them according to Macau situation,” said Leong said.
Leong added that the Center has been closely following international studies regarding the virus and understands that the study findings noted a very specific and exceptional case in which the incubation time was unusually prolonged.
“At the moment, the information we have is that normally [the incubation period] is between three to seven days but can last as long as 14 days in some particular cases and that is why we have used this period of 14 days [for the quarantine] of the patients. We do know that there are some particular cases which can be longer, but this happens in very specific and exceptional cases; it does not apply to the generality of the patients.” RM