Analysis: Hong Kong Covid Outbreak Stymied by Hybrid Immunity, Experts Say

Masked pedestrians in Hong Kong. The city is facing a muted resurgence of Covid-19, slowed by a hybrid immunity that has developed in the local population, according to experts. Photo: VCG

Hong Kong is battling a new Covid-19 outbreak fueled partly by two highly contagious omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5. But thanks to local hybrid immunity, infections are fewer and less severe than expected.

The Asian financial hub has reported 4,000 to 5,000 daily cases for 13 straight days, below the prediction of around 6,000 to 7,000 made by local officials in July. The vast majority have also not required hospitalization. As of Monday, only 566 Covid patients had been admitted to isolation wards at local public hospitals, while 430 patients were being treated at a designated Covid facility.

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