Highlights from white paper on China's fight against COVID-19
2020-06-07
Xu Lin, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and minister of the State Council Information Office, shows a white paper on China's fight against COVID-19 at a news conference in Beijing, June 7, 2020. [Screenshot from the live broadcast of the news conference]
BEIJING - China's State Council Information Office releases the white paper "Fighting COVID-19: China in Action" and holds a news conference on Sunday morning. Here are the highlights:
Over 94% of COVID-19 patients successfully treated
As of the end of May, a cumulative total of 83,017 confirmed cases had been reported on the Chinese mainland, 78,307 infected had been cured and discharged from hospital, and 4,634 people had died. This demonstrates a cure rate of 94.3 percent.
Temporary treatment centers a major innovative solution
The city of Wuhan re-purposed stadiums and exhibition centers into 16 temporary treatment centers, or Fangcang shelter hospitals, providing some 14,000 beds and making it possible to admit all confirmed mild cases for treatment.
This helped reduce infections and virus transmission in communities and prevent mild cases from worsening.
TCM used in treating 92% COVID-19 cases
Traditional Chinese medicine has been used in treating 92 percent of all confirmed COVID-19 cases across China.
A set of TCM diagnosis and treatment protocols were developed to cover the entire process of medical observation, treatment of mild, moderate, severe and critical cases, and recovery, and they have been applied nationwide.
In Hubei, a province once hardest hit by COVID-19, more than 90 percent of confirmed cases received TCM treatment that proved effective.
China gives COVID-19 patients free treatment
All COVID-19 patients, confirmed or suspected, received subsidies from state finance for any medical bills not covered by basic medical insurance, serious disease insurance, or the medical assistance fund.
As of May 31, the medical bills of 58,000 inpatients with confirmed infections had been settled by basic medical insurance, with a total expenditure of 1.35 billion yuan (about $190 million), or 23,000 yuan per person.
The average cost for treating COVID-19 patients in severe condition surpassed 150,000 yuan, and in some critical cases the individual cost exceeded 1 million yuan, all covered by the state.
