Kudos to the health care workers....must be incredible amount of stress involved:
Source:
https://news.sina.com.cn/o/2020-01-2...a4352487.shtml
Translation:
Dialogue with frontline medical staff in Wuhan: All isolation wards are saturated and colleagues have been infected
Interface News Dialogue A nurse at a hospital in Wuhan participated in the treatment of patients infected with the new coronavirus.
Image source: Hero Creative. Image source: Hero Creative.
Reporter | Chen Xin Ma Qiao Intern reporter Ou Yun Belek
Wuhan became the focus of public opinion due to the epidemic.
As of 24:00 on January 22, the National Health Commission had received a total of 571 confirmed cases of pneumonia of new coronavirus infection in 25 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) in China, including 95 severe cases and 17 deaths (both from Hubei Province). . A total of 393 suspected cases were reported in 13 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities).
武汉 After Wuhan announced the "closing of the city", the interface news dialogue with a well-known local hospital is on the front line to participate in the treatment of nurses infected with the new coronavirus.
According to the medical staff, the number of patients began to increase sharply after the hospital discovered the first case of new coronavirus infection in Wuhan at the end of December 2019. "During this time, doctors and nurses are overloaded and work overtime every day."
"All the isolation wards are already saturated." The medical staff said that if many patients have unclear symptoms, the doctor will prescribe some oral medications or infusions during the day. Because the beds are very tight, some of them need to be separated from home. Even some patients have reached the standard of hospitalization, but because they do not have a bed, they can only implement home isolation.
Interface news:
When did your hospital first have the first suspected case and confirmed case?
Nurse ：: It was discovered by our department around the end of December 2019. After knowing the news of the South China Seafood Wholesale Market, we started to screen our patients and asked them if they had a related contact history.
Interface news: How did the hospital and the local health department judge when the pneumonia first appeared? How did you get nervous step by step after that?
Nurse: Everyone is starting to be vigilant, we don't treat it as ordinary flu. On December 31, 2019, the hospital released documents on how to investigate, consult and identify suspected cases of pneumonia of unknown origin. After we reported to the CDC, the CDC did not take samples at that time. Sampling and diagnosis need to be notified, and sampling confirmation cannot be performed without notification.
Hospital set up a special fever clinic on January 4, 2020 to prevent these patients from mixing with emergency patients.
Interface news:
It has been circulating on the Internet that some hospitals in Wuhan have refused admission.
Nurse ：: I think there may be a situation where the beds are full and it ca n’t be received. All the isolated wards in our hospital are already saturated.
As far as I know, even the patients who have been hospitalized for observation in the fever clinic are sitting in the infusion. But I don't believe any hospital will refuse to accept it with a bed.
Interface news:
What doctors would recommend for home isolation?
Nurse: If there are many patients with unclear symptoms, the doctor will prescribe some oral medications according to his condition, or he will receive hot fluids during the day. Because the beds are very tight now and there are no beds, some of them may be separated from their homes. Some patients have even reached the standard of hospitalization, but because they do not have a bed, they can only implement home isolation.
There should still be a large number of people at home. At present, we recommend that patients at home be separated for a two-week observation period, mainly with oral medications. If you feel worse, you can go to the hospital at any time. As far as I know, there are cases where home isolation has turned into a confirmed diagnosis.
Interface News:
What treatment options are currently used for diagnosed or critically ill patients? For example, in the news report, the use of ECMO (External Membrane Oxygenation) to successfully cure patients.
Nurse: At present, our mainstream treatment plan is mainly anti-virus and anti-infection, and then symptomatic treatment is performed according to other symptoms of patients. ECMO (Extracorporeal Pulmonary Oxygenation) is a first aid technique used primarily in emergency departments. ECMO technology can be used in severe cases, this technology is not a conventional treatment of this disease. What the news says should not cure the patient, but it may be that this patient successfully rescued the patient after using ECMO technology after the viral pneumonia became critical. It should be temporarily stabilized.
Interface news:
What do you do in the process of contacting suspected or confirmed cases?
Nurse: We mainly care for patients. The usual care should be the same as other patients, except that we have isolated them for observation. We must also protect ourselves.
Interface news:
Are there any upgrades in protection measures for medical staff?
Nurse: The emergence of this infectious disease is regulated for protection standards. From the very beginning, our department has been standard prevention, and what kind of protection to take according to the degree of contact with your patients. For example, if the patient is in the isolation ward, he can only wear isolation clothing if he only enters the corridor of the isolation ward. If you are in close contact with the patient for operation, you need to wear protective clothing, goggles, or a face shield or helmet. What kind of protection you take depends on what kind of contact you have with the patient.
Interface News:
There are now reports that many protective supplies are out of stock. Is the hospital's material reserves adequate in this regard?
Nurse ：: Our hospital should have sufficient reserves. Protective equipment has been prepared in advance. Disposable protective equipment is applied for by each department or isolated ward according to its own demand. There is also a certain standard procedure for the disposal of used medical waste.
Interface news:
So far, are the medical staff in your hospital more infected?
Nurse: Medical staff in the infection department have the most infections. The staff of our department went to check today that there were 3 suspected cases, and they are all being observed in isolation.
Interface news:
How strong is the work?
Nurse: There are fewer medical staff than patients. The number of patients is increasing rapidly, doctors and nurses are overloaded, and they have to work overtime every day. Take our department as an example. Recently, all employees have been working overtime. Many doctors and nurses may work more than 10 hours a day, like today I work 13 hours faster. The head of our department is shifting from fever to fever. There is no time to eat, drink water or go to the toilet.
Interface news:
How long does it take for isolation to be confirmed?
Nurse ：: The incubation period for the median isolation of this disease is about 14 days. Our colleagues in the department had no fever symptoms at first, but CT detected that there was indeed a change in suspected viral pneumonia. Therefore, Isolation was performed at home. Because they have no related symptoms, they are still working normally today.
Interface news:
Do you worry about bringing some viruses or bacteria to your home after you return home every day?
Nurse ：: To be honest, I am very worried. As a mother, my children are all very young. I told my colleague that I was not even afraid of being infected, but I was afraid of bringing the virus home to the child. So most of the medical staff in the departments I know sent their children to other places and stayed in Wuhan alone.
Interface news:
Will you worry about the next infected person appearing next to you?
Nurse ：: There are already infected people around me, and each of us will worry about the next one to be identified, and we can only remind ourselves to take precautions at all times. I try not to go out after work now, soak and wash with disinfectant after going home for UV disinfection. I was afraid that I could spread the virus to others and endanger the health of others.
As medical personnel, we are also ordinary people. We are also afraid of death due to old age, sickness of death, and fear of infection. But since we did this, that is our responsibility. In front of patients, we have to do our own thing. I don't think doctors can be said to be particularly great or noble, but at least they are brave occupations. In such a difficult time, as a medical staff, I must be on the front line, and it is also worthy of being respected.
鑫 Chen Xin Stella / Interface Reporter
Editor-in-Chief: Zhao Ming
Keywords: medical staff
