Amid the recent surge in respiratory illnesses in northern China, one doctor has estimated the hospital where she works received two to three times as many daily patients as in the COVID-19 pandemic.
“One doctor would have to handle as many as 180 patients during a single night shift, because so many patients are arriving in the evening and after midnight, recounted Han Tongan, who leads Peking University Third Hospital’s pediatric unit, according to a Wednesday report by state outlet China Daily.
Since mid-October, clusters of respiratory infections, mostly among children, have spiked, overwhelming capacity in many hospitals across northern China. The World Health Organization has said data provided by China indicates the illnesses were mostly by influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, rhinovirus infections, respiratory syncytial virus, and adenovirus.
“Compared to the levels seen in 2017 and 2018 before COVID-19 pandemic hit, the daily number has doubled, even tripled,” said Han.
The Tianjin Children’s Hospital, located in a major port city near the capital Beijing, reported on November 18 a single-day record of 13,171 young patients across its outpatient and emergency departments, according to a local newspaper.
The higher volume stretched hospitals thin, sending them scrambling to boost their staff and redistribute resources. Some institutions reportedly had to shutter their outpatient departments, directing all attention to emergency care.
Dr. Han noted that, in her over 20 years of medical practice, she had never witnessed two emergency doctors working night shifts concurrently.
Pediatrician Xu Xiaojing from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital recounted handling nearly 160 patients during a single night shift last week.
Hector Retamal
“There were simply so many kids waiting outside. I only drank water twice and went to the toilet twice throughout the shift, and felt on the verge of collapse near the end,” Xu said.
China’s National Health Commission (NHC) advised that children with mild symptoms should stay home, emphasizing the elevated risk of cross-infection in crowded hospitals with lengthy wait times. The commission encouraged the public to get vaccinated for relevant diseases, wear masks, and take necessary precautions if experiencing respiratory symptoms.
Notably, the health commission outlined that children aged 1 to 4 are predominantly infected with influenza virus and rhinovirus, while those aged 5 to 14 are more affected by influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia (known as walking pneumonia), and adenovirus.
China’s National Health Commission did not immediately return Newsweek’s request for comment.
Han said that the total number of visits to outpatient and emergency departments began to stabilize this week, after reaching a peak last week.
“We’re following up with our clinical networks and working with clinicians in China to better understand resistance to antibiotics, which is a problem across the world but is a particular problem in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia region,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, acting director of the WHO’s Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, said at a press conference Wednesday.
Chinese medical experts have expressed warned the ongoing wave of respiratory infections, particularly affecting children, might next target the country’s elderly during family gatherings around the New Year.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.