Hospitals rise to challenge of respiratory illnesses

Deep concern

On Monday morning, Yan Zheng, a pediatrician at Peking University Third Hospital, saw a mother who brought her son to the outpatient department despite the boy having been diagnosed with influenza A at the hospital and given the necessary medications the previous evening.

"The mother was deeply concerned because her son's fever rose to more than 39 C around midnight and she was worried that it would result in brain damage," Yan said.

"High fever is a common symptom among young patients with influenza or mycoplasma pneumonia, and it takes some time for medication to take effect.

"I did not prescribe more drugs, but mainly comforted the mother, checked her son for vital signs, and advised that he continue to be given medication."