Three Chinese medical experts from Tongji Hospital in Wuhan on Wednesday shared their experiences treating the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with their Italian peers who made inquiries on a video call.
Enrico Ammirati, a cardiologist in the department of anesthesia and ICU of Niguarda Hospital, raised questions concerning the criterion of wards, treatment schemes of cytokine storm and COVID-19, protection of medics.
The Milan-based Niguarda Hospital is the oldest one in the city and one of the largest comprehensive medical facilities in Italy, where the number of confirmed coronavirus cases now stands at more than 3,000. The hospital has vacated a building and has so far admitted more than 200 COVID-19 patients.
"It's pretty hard for hospitals in any country around the world to provide a negative pressure ward for every single COVID-19 patient," said Wang Daowen, a cardiologist at the Tongji Hospital affiliated with Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
Wang told Ammirati about their solutions by refitting general wards -- turning air conditioners off and adding doors to separate the ward into clean, semi-contaminated and contaminated areas.
The treatment of severe and critical COVID-19 patients can refer to that of fulminant myocarditis, Wang said, since cytokine storms were found in patients with both diseases in terms of pathophysiological mechanism.
Tongji experts also shared pictures of level-3 protection and the use of protective masks and suits.
Since no specific antiviral drugs have been discovered in the academic circle, supportive and symptomatic therapies were mainly used for most COVID-19 patients who have been cured, said Zhou Ning, a cardiologist at Tongji.
"We have the experience of fighting SARS and massive data on COVID-19 in Wuhan," Wang said. "It's incumbent on us to share with international peers."
