Archive for ‘Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome’

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02/02/2020

Coronavirus: The hospital built in a matter of days

The Chinese city of Wuhan is building a hospital in just a few days, to treat patients suspected of contracting the coronavirus.

A view of cranes and diggers building Huoshenshan HospitalImage copyright GETTY IMAGES

The 25,000-square-metre (30,000 sq yd) Huoshenshan Hospital, one of two new hospitals being built, is scheduled to open on Monday.

On 24 January, diggers were speedily clearing the ground where the hospital will sit.

A view of cranes and diggers building Huoshenshan HospitalImage copyright GETTY IMAGES

China’s health authorities say 304 people have died from the coronavirus, with more than 14,000 cases in the country and beyond.

There have been about 100 cases in another 22 countries, including two people in the UK.

A view of cranes and diggers building Huoshenshan HospitalImage copyright GETTY IMAGES

The number of cases worldwide has surpassed that of the Sars epidemic, which spread to more than two dozen countries in 2003.

There were around 8,100 cases of Sars – severe acute respiratory syndrome – reported during that outbreak.

An aerial view of cranes and diggers building Huoshenshan HospitalImage copyright GETTY IMAGES

The coronavirus outbreak began in Wuhan, home to around 11 million people.

Media caption Aerial time-lapse shows Wuhan hospital construction

According to state media, the new Huoshenshan Hospital will contain about 1,000 beds.

A construction worker is pictured amidst heavy machinery on the site of Huoshenshan hospital, under constructionImage copyright GETTY IMAGESPresentational white space
An aerial view of cranes and diggers building Huoshenshan HospitalImage copyright GETTY IMAGESPresentational white space
A construction worker is pictured amidst heavy machinery on the site of Huoshenshan hospital, under constructionImage copyright GETTY IMAGES

China’s official CCTV broadcaster has been hosting livestreams so people can watch the hospitals being built in real-time – and they have proved an unlikely hit.

The Global Times newspaper says more than 40 million people have been watching the livestreams in China.

Hundreds of construction workers and heavy machinery build Huoshenshan hospitalImage copyright GETTY IMAGESPresentational white space
An aerial view of the construction of Huoshenshan hospitalImage copyright GETTY IMAGES

The popularity of the footage has led to the construction vehicles earning unusual fame.

Cement mixers have found themselves with nicknames like “The Cement King”, “Big White Rabbit” and “The White Roller”.

A digger is seen on the construction site of Huoshenshan hospitalImage copyright GETTY IMAGES

Huoshenshan Hospital is based on Xiaotangshan Hospital, set up in Beijing to help tackle the Sars virus in 2003.

Construction workers roll out damp proof liningImage copyright GETTY IMAGES

Xiaotangshan Hospital was built in seven days, allegedly breaking the world record for the fastest construction of a hospital.

A construction worker restsImage copyright GETTY IMAGES

“China has a record of getting things done fast even for monumental projects like this,” says Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations.

An aerial photo construction at the site of Huoshenshan HospitalImage copyright ALAMYPresentational white space
A laborer works at the construction site of Huoshenshan HospitalImage copyright ALAMY

Just like the hospital in Beijing, Huoshenshan Hospital will consist of prefabricated buildings.

A prefabricated building is lowered at Huoshenshan HospitalImage copyright GETTY IMAGES

Mr Huang said that engineers would be brought in from across the country in order to complete construction in time.

“Engineering work is what China is good at. They have records of building skyscrapers at speed. This is very hard for Westerners to imagine. It can be done,” he added.

An aerial view of construction at Huoshenshan hospitalImage copyright GETTY IMAGESPresentational white space
An aerial view of construction at Huoshenshan hospitalImage copyright GETTY IMAGES
A view of inside the hospitalImage copyright GETTY IMAGES
Workers set up a CT scanner inside the hospitalImage copyright EPA
Hospital beds are set up inside the hospitalImage copyright EPA

Source: The BBC

Posted in Beijing, building skyscrapers, built, CCTV broadcaster, Cement mixers, coronavirus, days, Engineering work, Hospital, Huoshenshan Hospital, patients, Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus, Sars epidemi, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Uncategorized, Wuhan, Xiaotangshan Hospital | Leave a Comment »

24/01/2020

China shuts part of Great Wall as virus toll hits 26

BEIJING, China (Reuters) – China ramped up measures to contain a virus that has killed 26 people and infected more than 800, suspending public transport in 10 cities, shutting temples over the Lunar New Year and even closing the Forbidden City and part of the Great Wall.

The week-long holiday to welcome the Year of the Rat began on Friday, raising fears the infection rate could accelerate as hundreds of millions of people travel to their homes and abroad in what is usually a festive time of year.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the new coronavirus an emergency for China but stopped short of declaring the epidemic of international concern.

While most of the cases and all of the deaths have been in China, the virus has been detected in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States. It was likely Britain also had cases, a health official said.

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The newly identified coronavirus has created alarm because it is too early to know just how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people.

Symptoms include fever, difficulty breathing and coughing.

Most of the fatalities have been elderly, many with pre-existing conditions, the WHO said.

Cases are likely to continue to rise in China but it is too soon to evaluate the severity of the virus, a WHO spokesman said on Friday.

As of Thursday, there were 830 confirmed cases and 26 people had died there, China’s National Health Commission said.

In Wuhan, where the outbreak began last month, pharmacies were running out of supplies and hospitals were flooded with nervous resident seeking medical checks.

“There’s so much news, so much data, every 10 minutes there’s an update, it’s frightening, especially for people like us in a severely hit area,” Lily Jin, 30, a resident of the city, told Reuters by phone.

GRAPHIC: The spread of a new coronavirus – here

Reuters Graphic

MORE RESTRICTIONS

While restrictions have already been put in place in cities across the country to curb the outbreak, China will take stricter and more targeted measures, state television reported citing a state council, or cabinet, meeting on Friday, but gave no further details.

“The spread of the virus has not been cut off … Local authorities should take more responsibility and have a stronger sense of urgency,” state broadcaster CCTV said.

Most cases have been in Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have originated in a market that traded illegally in wildlife. Preliminary research suggested it crossed to humans from snakes.

The city of 11 million people, and neighboring Huanggang, a city of about 7 million, were in virtual lockdown.

Nearly all flights at Wuhan’s airport had been canceled, and airports worldwide have stepped up the screening of passengers from China.

Checkpoints blocked the main roads leading out of town, and police checked incoming vehicles for wild animals.

Wuhan was rushing to build a 1,000-bed hospital for the infected by Monday, the official Changjiang Daily reported.

About 10 people got off a high-speed train that pulled into Wuhan on Friday afternoon but nobody got on before it resumed its journey. Although it stopped there, Wuhan had been removed from the train’s schedule.

“What choice do I have? It’s Chinese New Year. We have to see our family,” said a man getting off the train who gave his family name Hu.

CHINA EMERGENCY

The WHO said on Thursday it was a “bit too early” to designate the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, which would require countries to step up their response.

Some experts believe the virus is not as dangerous as the one that caused the 2002-03 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which also began in China and killed nearly 800 people, or the one that caused Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, which has killed more than 700 people since 2012.

There is no known vaccine or particular treatment.

“There is some work being done and there are some trials now for MERS (vaccines). And we may look at some point whether those treatments and vaccines would have some effect on this novel coronavirus,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said on Friday.

Gilead Sciences Inc said it was assessing whether its experimental Ebola treatment could be used. Meanwhile, three research teams were starting work on vaccines, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations said.

In the meantime, Chinese authorities have imposed restrictions on movement and gatherings to try to stem the spread. It has advised people to avoid crowds and 10 cities in the central province of Hubei, where Wuhan is located, have suspended some transport, the Hubei Daily reported.

Some sections of the Great Wall near Beijing will be closed from Saturday, state media said.

Some temples have also closed, including Beijing’s Lama Temple where people make offerings for the new year, have also been closed as has the Forbidden City, the capital’s most famous tourist attraction.

Shanghai Disneyland will close from Saturday. The theme park has a 100,000 daily capacity and sold out during last year’s Lunar New Year holiday.

The virus is expected to dent China’s growth after months of economic worries over trade tensions with the United States, unnerving foreign companies doing business there.

Shares in luxury goods firms have suffered from the anticipated drop in demand from China, and on Friday French spirits group Remy Cointreau said it was “clearly concerned” about the potential impact.

Source: Reuters

Posted in Beijing, Britain, cabinet, China, chinese authorities, chinese new year, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, elderly, emergency, epidemic, experimental Ebola treatment, fatalities, Forbidden City, Gilead Sciences Inc, Great Wall, hospitals, Huanggang, Hubei Daily, hubei province, humans, Japan, Lama Temple, local authorities, lunar new year, Lunar New Year holiday, luxury goods firms, MERS (vaccines), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, National Health Commission, new coronavirus, pharmacies, Preliminary research, public transport, Rémy Cointreau, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Shanghai Disneyland, shuts, Singapore, snakes, South Korea, State Council, Taiwan, temples, Thailand, train’s schedule, Uncategorized, United States, Vietnam, Virus, wildlife, World Health Organisation (WHO), Wuhan, Year of the Rat | Leave a Comment »

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