Corona virus -Wuhan hospital construction for Coronavirus patient
By: Anjana Sameera Thantirige
Tags: China Virus, Wuhan Hospital, Hospital Construction, Corona Virus, Corona

Corona virus is a new flu-like virus affecting the respiratory system. The disease, known as COVID-19, emerged in Hubei’s capital, Wuhan. The 2019 novel coronavirus, which is perhaps why you are reading this, is one of seven members of this family. In fact, this virus is known to contaminate humans and, there may be possible to jump from animals to humans. Since emerging in China in December, this new Coronavirus has triggered a global health emergency.

The death toll from China’s coronavirus epidemic jumped past 1,600 on Sunday. The city of Wuhan is under quarantine since 23rd January 2020. There are no planes or trains in and out of the city. The military is protecting medical stations, and more than two dozen countries have confirmed cases. Several states have adjourned trade and travel links with China in a bid to contain the spread of the virus.

What is Corona virus?

The two-day global research and innovation forum regarding COVID-19 was convened in line with the WHO R&D Blueprint this week. Top health experts met at WHO to evaluate the current level of knowledge about the new COVID-19 disease. They have recognized gaps, and are working together to hasten and fund priority research.

They are more considerate about the research needed to help stop this outbreak and prepare for any future outbreaks.

There were previous outbreaks due to other coronaviruses such as (Middle-East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). In them human-to-human transmission happened through droplets, contact, and fomites, signifying that the transmission mode of COVID-19 can be similar.

Symptoms of the disease condition caused by Corona virus

Signs and symptoms of infection with the new Coronavirus may appear two to 14 days after acquaintance. These can include:

Fever

Cough

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

The severity of the new coronavirus indications can range from very minor to severe, even death. Although thoughtful of this illness continues to rise, most people with acute infection are old or had other medical conditions. This is similar to what you find in people who have severe infections with other breathing illnesses, such as influenza.

Prevention is better than cure-Corona virus

The basic guidelines to reduce the general risk of transmission of acute respiratory infections include the following.

Evading close contact with people suffering from severe respiratory diseases.

Regular hand-washing. Especially after direct contact with sick people or their environment.

Avoiding unprotected contact with farm or wild animals.

People with indicators of acute respiratory infection should practice cough etiquette. Keep the distance, cover coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or clothing, and wash hands.

Within health care facilities, enhance standard infection prevention and control practices in hospitals, especially in emergency departments.

WHO does not endorse any specific health measures for travelers.

In case of symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness either during or after travel, travelers are encouraged to seek medical attention. It is also best to share their travel history with their health care provider.

The world record for the fastest expansion of a hospital for Corona virus patients in Wuhan

The city of Wuhan is considered the epicenter of the disease. It is on lockdown, and its 11 million residents are asked to stay put by national officials.

Chinese state media says the new prefabricated hospital with capacity for 1,000 patients was built in nine days in Wuhan. It is based on a similar hospital set up in Beijing to help tackle the Sars virus in 2003.

In 2003, The Xiaotangshan Hospital in Beijing was built within seven days to help cope with the SARS virus. “China has a record of getting things done fast for monumental projects like this,” said a senior for global health.

Engineers joined in from across the country to ample the construction in time. The development of the site functioned around the clock. It reportedly broke the world record for the fastest expansion of a hospital.

Broadcast by Chinese state media, drone footage of the construction site displays a ballet of bulldozers excavating the foundation. The parade of trucks moving in steel cable, cement, pre-fab parts, and power generators, amazed the world. Labors are toiling around the clock to meet the frantic timelines. The 645,000 square-foot hospitals consist of two floors. It has an X-ray room, CT room, intensive-care unit, a laboratory, and each ward is equipped with its bathrooms. This will not be the first time that the Chinese have built a health facility in a matter of days. This comes as Chinese authorities working to contain the Coronavirus that has killed hundreds of people and sickened thousands.

How long did it take to build the Wuhan hospital?

It took nine days to complete, with a total of 10 days between construction starting and admitting the first patient. Construction workers in Wuhan labored through the night to dig foundations, concrete building bases, and crane modular prefabricated-units into place.

At peak times, the site had about 1,500 workers.

Workers interviewed said they had only slept for two hours in three days.

The second hospital in Wuhan, called Leishenshan Hospital, has a capacity of 1,500 patients. It was completed on 5th February and started admitting patients on 6th February.

In many documentaries, it showed that units with ultraviolet disinfection technology fitted in the walls. This allowed the staff to pass equipment to and from treatment rooms without entering. According to the Associated Press, the two-story hospital features doubled-sided cabinets and ventilation systems that essentially quarantine patients. The building also contains infrared scanners that can detect whether any employees have a fever — one of the Coronavirus’s tell-tale symptoms.

Why did the Chinese government build the Wuhan hospital?

The facility was opened as many residents of Wuhan have opted to stay home. They have stated that they did not go because of limited bedding and the risk of getting ill at the hospital. In Huoshenshan, it is apparent that the facility would not be able to facilitate if the virus continues to spread.

Wuhan government has said that only patients confirmed to have contracted the virus will be admitted Huoshenshan Hospital. But the patients may still be divided based on the risk they pose.

Aerial photos of the facility, taken during construction, show long rectangular wards spilling out from a central axis. They are otherwise utterly separated from one another.

A second, smaller cluster of structures appears entirely disconnected from the bulk of the hospital. This layout reflects that wings of differing levels of contagiousness, for instance, are being isolated to prevent cross-infection.

They would also, ideally, be divided from central areas by disinfection facilities, especially if doctors are working across different patients. These disinfection zones may also help them to separate wards from the operational command center.

Perhaps this kind of operational hub would probably not be at the center of the building.

What are the barriers they had?

Planning for these human flows, it is also essential to think about the space. They had to consider the space between patients, corridors, and facilities and to erect barriers between them. But even for contagious viruses, the safe distances required may be smaller than one might expect.

There are two obstacles: a ‘dirty’ barrier and a ‘clean’ barrier. The clean barrier would be on the side of staff members who were not infected. Those who are suspected of having or are confirmed to have the disease are on the other side. The distance between those barriers, if there was a free-flowing corridor, was 1 meter. Because even if an infected patient speaks, there is no way your droplets would go any further than a meter.

The material used for these barriers is not especially important, as long as they can endure chemical cleaning. It is also important to mark entrances and exits to ensure that people went in the desired direction. There are many other logistical considerations built into the design, from deliveries and patient transfers to storage and ventilation. According to the Wuhan government, other facilities in the hospital include a medical technology building. It also has a network computer room, a central supply warehouse, and an ambulance decontamination room, among others.

Other possible concerns

Water and sanitation systems are other essential measures of controlling cross-infection, retrofitting such systems into existing hospitals may prove impossible. Facilities like Huoshenshan and Leishenshan may seem like desperate attempts to control an epidemic. But they could be considered to be better equipped for the job than Wuhan’s existing facilities. They can keep infected patients away from those who need to seek medical treatment for other reasons. This may prove lifesaving, given that people with other conditions, appear to be especially at risk from the Wuhan coronavirus.

A windup about the Wuhan hospital for Corona virus patients

At present, the effectiveness of the new hospitals remains mostly untested. Some observers have raised questions about their overall functionality and safety. Yet as a country, China took massive efforts to provide its citizens with the fastest solution to control the disease. This effort could not be enough to eradicate the virus, but this will give them a better chance. This shows how much they are capable of technology, labor force, and, last but not least, a proper administration system.