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Cross infection at China’s coronavirus epicentre?
- Li Ruiqi’s mother went into a Wuhan hospital for an operation. Now she has the infection but nowhere to go for treatment
- One doctor says many medical staff lacked an awareness of infectious diseases and were unprepared for crisis
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Zhang Jianli, 48, went into hospital for a routine operation in the central Chinese city of Wuhan earlier this month. Two weeks later, she is in a serious condition with a deadly coronavirus.
While the family was not certain if Zhang contracted the virus at the hospital, daughter Li Ruiqi said that Zhang had not been to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where the coronavirus is thought to have originated.
Since the coronavirus outbreak began in December, more than 6,000 people have been infected globally and over 130 in China have died.
Li said there when her mother went in for the operation there were no warnings about preventing infection from other patients and staff.
“At the time [of the surgery], no medical staff advised us to be careful about the coronavirus, nor did they take safety precautions,” Li said.
A more immediate problem for the family is that despite her diagnosis, Zhang, a diabetic, cannot get admitted to a hospital in the city, where the medical system is overwhelmed by cases.
“How long do we have to wait for admittance? Do we need to take the patient to the emergency room and cause a scene to make a difference?” Li wrote in a widely shared social media post.
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