Young patients in quarantined hospital perform song in praise of medical workers

After one week of closed-loop management of the Shanghai Renji Hospital's west campus, children at the pediatric wards performed a song to praise the doctors and nurses that had been taking care of them.

"Please listen to my appreciation because you've warmed up winter. Please listen to my appreciation because you're making the world a more beautiful place," they sang.

More than 10 children aged from 2 to 18 suffering from rheumatic immune diseases have stayed in the wards since Jan 21, when closed-loop management was imposed on the hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine after a logistics worker tested positive for COVID-19.

Gao Feng, head nurse of the pediatrics department of the hospital's west campus, said the children and their parents were at first very anxious when they heard they had to be quarantined at the hospital for two weeks because some needed to prepare for important exams and some had household chores at home.

The nursing team took care of their diverse needs, including providing healthy and tasty meals, gathering them to do physical exercises and games, accompanying them to do school assignments, and looking after them when their parents needed to deal with work.

"The kids became more active over the days and the atmosphere of depression swept away from the wards," said Gao.

A 16-year-old girl nicknamed Ruirui first thought of the idea of gathering some fellows to sing a song in appreciation of the medical workers' dedication.

"These big brothers and sisters have accompanied and cared for us throughout these days and they prioritized our needs over theirs," the girl said.