Economic Daily:
I would like to ask how ordinary people can prevent this form of pneumonia from infecting them. Any suggestions? For example, if we suspect that we have this coronavirus pneumonia, what medicine can we take to ease the symptoms? And if the diagnosis confirms it to be the coronavirus pneumonia, are there any specialized medical institutions or outpatient clinics for these patients? Are you going to establish specialized medical institutions to treat patients? Thank you.
Li Bin:
This topic has become everyone's top concern, and today is also a very good opportunity to further publicize relevant information and knowledge. Media friends, please help us publicize this. Now, I would like to ask Mr. Jiao Yahui to introduce the situation as well as share knowledge on its prevention with everyone.
Jiao Yahui:
Thank you for your questions. Everyone is very concerned about how they can prevent this kind of pneumonia. First of all, we should take several precautions. Given the current situation, you should try to minimize travel to crowded places, whether it be homes, workplaces, or schools. Of course, now students are already on their school break. It is also necessary to maintain a habit of ensuring regular and adequate indoor ventilation. Even in northern China, we recommend that you should open your windows for a short time in winter. When symptoms of fever or cough appear, we recommend that you should wear a mask. We advocate a culture of mask-wearing. Cover your mouth and nose with a handkerchief or tissue when you sneeze. In addition, you must wear a mask to protect yourself. This also serves as a form of protection for other people. These tips are routine. In addition to these, wash your hands frequently. If you accidentally cover your mouth and nose with your hands when you sneeze, be sure to wash them after. Do not rub your eyes or touch parts of your body with the mucous-membrane after sneezing. Generally speaking, be sure to maintain a high level of personal protection and personal hygiene.
When you experience some discomfort, such as cough and fever, we recommend that you should not self-medicate first or seek advice on the internet. We recommend that you do not follow the advice you may find online on self-medication, thinking your illness will blow over in two days, and avoid the hospital. For now, we recommend that if such symptoms occur, you must go to the hospital in time to seek the correct diagnosis and treatment from a doctor. Hospitals at Level 2 or higher, which are our hospitals in districts, counties, cities and provinces, all have fever clinics. When patients have symptoms, whether they go to a general clinic or a fever clinic, even if they go to a general clinic, there will be professional medical services to treat them. The staff will test the body temperature and if they find that the patient's temperature is rising, they would prompt him to wear a mask and guide them to a fever clinic for further checks and investigation. Because this season is also when other respiratory diseases frequently occur, only patients deemed to have a high-probability of the virus would be quarantined and observed. This will only take place after the possibility of other respiratory diseases is eliminated. We will use laboratory testing methods to make a further definitive diagnosis. Even when visiting a primary medical institution, such as a community health service center, doctors will conduct preliminary screening when the patient is admitted and record the information of fever patients in detail. If patients are deemed to have a high likelihood of being infected by the virus, they will be referred to second-level or higher hospitals that are equipped to do further diagnosis and treatment.
Suspected and confirmed cases will be sent to designated hospitals for intensive treatment. Local governments have specially designated and backup hospitals in various places. In the event of the growth of the epidemic and should the number of cases increase, backup hospitals can be activated at any time. Should the designated hospitals be no longer able to accommodate an increasing number of patients with the virus, we will still have backup hospitals. Local governments have also formulated detailed plans too. During the SARS epidemic in 2003, Beijing urgently built the Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital and transformed it into the central hospital which admitted and treated SARS patients. If this epidemic develops to that stage, we can also temporarily convert some hospitals to treat such patients. Of course, our current epidemic situation is far from reaching this level, so our medical resources are still sufficient to provide timely diagnosis and treatment for patients. Thank you.
