Beijing
The neumólogo Hu Ke, who treated hundreds of patients in Wuhan during the worst moments of the pandemic in the Chinese city, emphasizes that the virus has been kept under control in his city and in the Asian country thanks to the protection individual, massive tests and quarantines of the asymptomatic.
In a telephone interview with Efe, one of the few international media outlets who has managed to interview a doctor from Wuhan, Hu said that the most difficult moments were experienced in the city just before the isolation and a little over a week later when the cases multiplied. and resources to deal with them were scarce.
This professor of lung medicine, a member of the team in charge of the fight the virus in the capital of Hubeiemphasizes the importance of personal protection for people who still suffer from it pandemic and believes that the Chinese vaccine, which it considers “very safe and effective”, should not be rejected.
Patients increased long before they closed
What were the most difficult moments Wuhan experienced?
The most difficult time was just before January 23 (when the Chinese government declared the city’s isolation) and soon after. Before the quarantine, the number of patients increased enormously. After the closure, we did not have sufficient medical resources due to the increase in the number of patients, but the government resolved it quickly. In total it was no more than two weeks.
In addition, it must be taken into account that the quarantine was applied in a city of 11 million people just during the New Year holidays on the Moon, a very special period for citizens who were materially or psychologically unprepared.
Protective suits and other medical aids were not enough, but the difficulties were overcome in a very short time. On January 24, the first group of doctors and nurses arrived, and then help began to arrive by plane and train.
In myself Hopital The suits were never missing, although sometimes we had to master their use as there were not enough spare ones.
In addition to strict incarceration, what other measures were decisive in overcoming the Wuhan epidemic?
The community management system was very important. When someone was feeling bad, they got the help of their neighborhood community health officials, even getting them to go to the hospital HopitalAnd when food was needed, the community was in charge of its distribution.
There were times when hospitals were saturated and could not treat more patients. Were people cared for at home?
In my hospital, the situation was not that serious, although I read some information talking about it. Some did not reach the level severe enough to be hospitalized and in that case the neighborhood community treated these cases and sent them medicinesLater, with the construction of field hospitals, they were already treated in those centers. My hospital had been completely transformed to be only for coronavirus patients.
Communities have done a great job
Many people consulted by Efe in Wuhan mentioned the lack of food as one of the biggest problems in the first moments.
Perhaps some food was initially missing until the logistics operation got back on track. I think the organization of the incarceration is one of the things that has been done very well. Get medical supplies and basic nutritional needs first. Medical equipment and food were brought in from outside Wuhan. The communities have done a great job, the neighbors inquired over the phone and delivered the products to the door. In my case, I stayed in the hospital for four months. We were at high risk so I slept and ate there. I have never had a food problem.
– P: Psychologists say that months later the health workers refused to remember the worst moments. Did the incarceration have any psychological effects?
It hit us, yes, but I experienced the SARS epidemic in 2003 and I didn’t care. Maybe the young doctors and nurses were afraid of getting sick or dying. I have not heard of any case of subsequent psychological problems in my environment. Last January there was a sign of regrowth in the provincia de HubeiVolunteers were sought to help with prevention and more than 300 toilets were installed in 30 locations. Therefore, I believe his psychological state is stable. The epidemic is over.
There was no example in the world for the Wuhan case
What steps were taken to prevent the virus from returning after the city was opened and the number of cases kept to a minimum?
The first was the observation of the patients leaving the hospital, their families and their communities. Then the Covid tests for all residents of WuhanMore than ten million were analyzed in two weeks, there was no example in the world. We found 600 asymptomatic cases, treated them and isolated them in quarantine. Since then, in May 2020, the city has not registered any more covid cases among its residents.
Since then, China has used our mass testing model to find the asymptomatic and quarantine them for two weeks along with close contacts as the best way to control the epidemic.
More and more studies are appearing on new long-term consequences of the disease. What do you currently know about it?
We are still investigating this. All diseases have consequences. Jinyintan Hospital (one of the first cases to be treated in Wuhan and recently visited by international experts from the WHO mission) conducted a study observing 1,000 recovered patients for six months. Some of them showed psychological as well as physiological problems, although not so serious.
There is also discrimination in the city against many patients who have passed the covid and recovered.
I am not aware of those cases. Once recovered, coronavirus patients cannot infect another person. Wuhan has been without cases for almost a year and no one can infect. Recovered patients have not infected anyone for a long time. And not only are they not going to infect them, but they also have the protection not to reinfect themselves.
I have no doubt that Western countries will heal
What would you recommend to countries that are still severely affected by the virus?
The first is individual protection, which is very important, the mask. I have no doubt that Western countries will be healed. But there are different opinions on how to do it. Wuhan had the epidemic under control in a few days, but there are many sick people abroad. Like all the thousands of toilets that came Wuhan They were not infected, it was from the masks and protective suits.
Every country needs to think about why China was able to contain the epidemic in a short time, with such a large population. First, individual protection, do not meet, do not leave the house, wash your hands; second, keep social distance, and third, the organization of communities. In China it is very advanced, we can order many things online without leaving the house.
The vaccine is also important. I disagree with the herd’s immunity, which comes at a high cost in case of too many deaths. Vaccines from China are very safe and effective. I received it last December. Western countries should not reject and pay for Chinese vaccines with the lives of their people. We must protect the people most at risk from vaccines.