First group of patients discharged from expo center makeshift hospital
Patients are discharged.
Some 700 patients were discharged from a large makeshift hospital at the Shanghai New International Expo Center on Sunday.
It was the first group released since the site began operations on March 31.
The makeshift facility can accommodate up to 15,000 patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms and asymptomatic infections.
The discharged will return home or go to central quarantine sites for health observation.
A coronavirus patient must have two negative nucleic acid tests with at least a 24-hour interval or have CT, or cycle threshold, values of nucleic acid testing above 35 before being discharged or dismissed from medical observation.
According to doctors at the site, patients with mild condition or asymptomatic infections can meet the discharge requirements after staying at makeshift hospitals for about seven days through regular and proper medical observation and treatment that combine of Western and traditional Chinese medicines.
Zheng Junhua, Party secretary of Renji Hospital and head of the makeshift hospital, said the site is the second largest makeshift hospital built in Shanghai. The discharge indicates the smooth flow of patient acceptance, treatment and release.
The batch of patients have been treated by 11 local medical teams and teams from Jiangxi, Hubei and Tianjin. It is also a sign of good cooperation of management and clinical practice between medics from Shanghai and other provinces and cities, he said.
By 8am on Sunday, the site had received 14,042 people.
People board buses to leave the makeshift hospital.
In the family section of the makeshift hospital, children and their parents had a special treat over the weekend. Dishes, beverages and snacks donated by warm-hearted companies and people arrived at the hospital.
The family section, under the charge of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, is mainly for children and their parents. Currently, the nearly 1,000 beds in the section are fully occupied.
"All the children are very happy with these gifts," said Zhu Ping, a nurse at the section. "They are even more cooperative while receiving nucleic acid test at night."
Officials from Shanghai Children's Medical Center said parents, whether positive or not, can stay with their infected children. Such a method is good for children's treatment and recovery, plus good communication and support between families can streamline the process.
The first group of child patients are expected to be discharged soon, officials said.
A girl happily poses with a nurse.
A boy takes a selfie with a nurse.
Medics pose after unloading a batch of donated napkins.
