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Covid-19 tests limits of Shanghai hospitals as Omicron infects already-ill elderly
- Infectious diseases expert Zhang Wenhong says treatment of coronavirus patients presenting with comorbidities strains medical resources
- Eight city-level hospitals have been consolidated to treat severe, critically ill patients with underlying diseases
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The devastating impact of the Omicron strain on vulnerable populations is testing the capacity of Shanghai hospitals after weeks of surging case numbers put an increasing strain on resources.
The coronavirus-related death rate has accelerated in recent days, with 51 deaths confirmed on Monday.
Of the half a million infections in this Covid-19 wave, 138 people have died of the disease. An additional 196 people are seriously ill and 23 others are critically ill and being treated in intensive care units.
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Doctors said that while the growing number of cases tested the capacity of hospitals in the city, treating seriously ill people suffering comorbidities was the “biggest challenge”.
02:10
Inside a Shanghai Covid-19 makeshift hospital where ‘lights are on all night’
Inside a Shanghai Covid-19 makeshift hospital where ‘lights are on all night’
“The challenges of treating vulnerable populations are beginning to emerge, particularly because of the increase in the number of cases,” said Zhang Wenhong, a specialist in infectious diseases at Shanghai’s Huashan Hospital and head of the expert panel addressing Covid-19 treatment in the city.
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