Medical experts take hammer to online trolls' COVID red herrings

With restrictive COVID-19 measures easing gradually and firmly across the country, people are looking forward to a return of pre-pandemic normal life. Meanwhile a small number of online trolls, either out of ignorance or for the sake of inflating clicks, are churning out sensational stuff dramatizing the agonies, or the so called after-effects of COVID-19 infections.

The views of some noted medical experts across the country would go a long way toward countering this wave of misinformation and disinformation. Here is a summary of some of the more pertinent views.

What's the percentage of severe COVID-19 cases?

The latest COVID-19 resurgence in Guangzhou suggests there are very few severe cases, and the few serious cases are mostly aggravation of underlying medical conditions, and they are responding quite well to treatment. In the current resurgence, pulmonary infections are extremely rare.

(Li Yimin, expert from No. 1 Hospital Attached to Guangzhou Medical University)

Can we see the current COVID-19 pandemic as something like influenza?

The prevailing Omicron variants, compared with the original and earlier strains, are more transmissible, but much less virulent.

With the original and the Delta strains, about half or 60 percent of the patients would show lung damage to varying degrees, but with the current strain, 90 percent of the patients are asymptomatic or very light cases, with extremely rare incidence of pulmonary infections, to say nothing of severe pulmonary inflammation.

Of the more than 160,000 COVID-19 cases treated in Guangzhou so far, there has not been a single death. There have been only four severe cases, all attributable to underlying medical conditions, which might have nothing to do with COVID-19. Thus my assessment is that the current variant has become significantly vitiated in its virulence, and is very similar to influenza. It's a disease preventable and curable, thus there is definitely no need for panic.

(Tang Xiaoping, expert from Guangzhou Medical University)

What are some of the symptoms for COVID-19 cases?

Some patients would show symptoms ranging from fever, headache, to dry cough. Some will develop general pain and diarrhoeas, but such symptoms are extremely rare. To sum up, symptoms would be predominantly confined to upper respiratory tracts, with lower respiratory tract symptoms very rare. These symptoms are very much like those for seasonal influenza, except that the symptoms are generally lighter than those for a heavy cold.

Patients with fever, headaches, or sore throats can take two doses of traditional Chinese medicine, and most patients would get better 12 to 24 hours after taking the medicine, with a few patients getting relief 36 hours later. There might still be slight coughs, but they respond quite well to TCM. Most asymptomatic or light cases will test negative in five days. A few might take 11 days.

(Zhang Zhongde, head of Guangdong Provincial TCM Hospital)

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Is it necessary to get some medicine ready at home? How about kids?

It is very important to point out that there is no specific drug for the Omicron variant, so patients need to rely on their immune response to combat the virus. Any medicine that might be available could only help relieve the symptoms caused by the virus, thus the lists of "must" drugs circulating online recently are totally unjustified. Since there is an expiry date for all medicine, it would be a decided waste if the medicine you have stockpiled is ultimately not used.

As far as the medicine for symptoms are concerned, you could get some medicine ready for fever, headache, cough, or diarrhoea. It is important to use the right dose, and avoid using different medicines designed for one condition at the same time.

For those who choose to be medicated at home, cefaclor is suggested, since it is a broad-spectrum antibiotic with proved efficacy for respiratory tract and urethral inflammation. Clinical trials have suggested it is safer than other antibiotics, with occasional occurrences of rashes, thus safe for children's use.

Generally speaking, it is safe for adults to use medicine at home. In case of children showing symptoms of fever or coughs, it is suggested they should see doctors immediately. If hospital visits are not convenient, try the Internet hospitals, or professional pharmacists.

Of the over 1,000 child COVID-19 patients we have treated, they seem to show even less symptoms than adults; 80 to 90 percent of them are asymptomatic.

For children with very light symptoms, there is no need for medicine. Drink plenty of water and have a good rest, and there is no need for intervention for children running a fever less than 38.5 degrees Celsius. Anyway, the fever itself is a kind of protective mechanism on the part of your immunity system.

(Zhang Shunguo, expert from the Shanghai Children's Medical Center)