Planning is key for countries before epidemic hits: Experts

Chinese medical experts who have been treating novel coronavirus-infected patients in Wuhan, the capital city of Central China's Hubei province, shared their first-hand clinical experience on preventing and controlling the disease with foreign countries at a news briefing on Wednesday in Beijing.

A number of countries have reported cases of novel coronavirus recently, including Japan and the United Kingdom. When asked what advice they have for these countries, Qiao Jie, president of Peking University Third Hospital in Beijing, said the first thing is to train more medical staff to face the disease and know how to protect themselves, including putting on and taking off protective clothing.

Efforts are needed in preparing rooms and equipment for treatment in different situations. For example, a high power exhaust fan in a ward can change the airflow and ensure the safety of a patient and medical staff, according to Qiao.

Training is needed for community residents, and even knowing how to properly wear masks and wash hands need step-by-step training, Qiao said.

Du Bin, director of the medical intensive care unit at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, said the key word is plan.

Countries must have a plan for every suspected patient who goes to a fever clinic, general outpatient clinic or even an inpatient department. They must have a plan on how to detect suspected cases according to clinical manifestations and laboratory tests, such as lymphopenia, or according to a CT scan, Du said.

He said countries must have the ability to do laboratory confirmation for suspected cases and plan to isolate individual suspected cases before confirming or ruling out the diagnosis.

They must have a plan to educate and train healthcare workers within individual hospitals to prepare themselves for cases. They must have a plan to prepare for not only space, but also supplies, such as personal protection equipment for all healthcare workers involved or who may encounter suspected cases.

"It's a very tough job, but it has to be done, not only by the health care workers, but also by the government," he said.

The government means not only healthcare authorities, but also other departments, such as the Public Security and Transportation Departments.

"I think that's the only way to control the epidemic, not only in China, but also in other countries," he added.