A Doctor’s Perspective from Wuhan

Dr. Bin Cao, vice president and director of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, has worked on the front lines of patient care in Wuhan for the past few months. By closely monitoring the disease, he and his team are beginning to unlock some of its secrets. Cao talks to Dr. Josh Sharfstein about how the situation has changed in Wuhan, what we can learn about safeguarding providers, the primary risk factors for death, and ongoing research. Learn more: www.jhsph.edu/...

[@marktu8976]

Initially there was a severe shortage of medical supplies and equipment and a lack of training in prevention of hospital infection. That's why many of the local medical staff were infected and 12 of them died. When medical doctors/nurses were sent to Wuhan from other regions of China, they brought with them a large amount of supplies and equipment. They also went through serious trainings in how to prevent cross infection in hospitals and were required to followed strict protocol to protect themselves. That's why there has been zero infection among 40000 doctors/nurses sent to Wuhan and Hubei. However, one death of Guangdong medical team member caused by a traffic accident was reported. More than 400 medical staff sent from my university are still working there to take care of the sever and critical patients. We are anxiously waiting for their safe return. Dr. Cao should stress the importance of having adequate PPE and training the medical workers in infection prevention. Another important arrangement is that senior members of the hospital administration went to the frontline with their staff. They are held responsible for the safety of their staff and are in the same boat with staff.

[@Shaily.kapadia]

I’m worried about the cremates procedures followed in different countries like kissing the body before burial, handing over the patient’s body to family members. Burial procedures might be a problem in future if the land is tilled. Won’t it revive the remnants in future? Also putting furnace in nearby areas and burning the bodies might be the great option for several reasons like social boycott of the bodies, disagreements over land allotment to the patients’ bodies & the re-tilling of the land in the future.

[@crisbot666]

Umm.... This guy saying Wuhan doctors and nurses we're "fine". "They have enough protection equipment like a mask and protective clothing"? "There's no worry"?

[@marktu8976]

Initially there was a severe shortage of medical supplies and equipment. That's why many of the local medical staff were infected and 12 of them died. When medical doctors/nurses were sent to Wuhan from other regions of China, they brought with them a large amount of supplies and equipment. Logistics has been improving significantly. They also went through trainings in how to prevent cross infection in hospitals and followed strict protocol to protect themselves. That's why there has been zero infection among doctors/nurses sent to Wuhan. However, one death of Guangdong medical team member caused by a traffic accident was reported. More than 400 medical staff sent from my university are still working there to take care of the sever and critical patients. We are anxiously waiting for their safe return. Dr. Cao should stress the importance of have adequate PPE and training the medical workers in infection prevention.

[@abbad707]

@@marktu8976 k and what about Dr. Ai Fen?