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. 2021 Dec;10(1):998-1001.
doi: 10.1080/22221751.2021.1931467.

The COVID-19-designated hospitals in China: preparing for public health emergencies

Qian Li  1 , Lin Wang  1 , Bangfang Wang  2 , Hongzhou Lu  1
Affiliations

The COVID-19-designated hospitals in China: preparing for public health emergencies

Qian Li et al. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2021 Dec.

Abstract

The designated hospitals are another health approach besides Fangcang shelter hospitals and newly built temporary hospitals for responding to COVID-19 epidemic in China. Faced with the emergency situation, about 1512 hospitals from 363 cities have been designated in China to tackle the spread of COVID-19. They were local hospitals repurposed by the Chinese government as a regional public health response. Their comprehensive services mainly include: "fever-clinics" to screen patients, COVID-19 department for higher-levels of medical care, and makeshift wards for emergencies. As the only COVID-19 designated hospital in Shanghai, we documented three characters (Centralized response and action system, Comprehensive functions, Closed-Loop Management System) and three strategies (Resource allocation, Prevention of nosocomial infection, Management during the post-COVID-19 pandemic stage) from the experience in responding to COVID-19 pandemic. Lastly, learning the lessons from COVID-19 pandemic, a more efficacy and rapid national response to public health emergencies is required. Serving as an essential component of public health system, the COVID-19-designated hospitals should be always prepared for future emergencies.

Keywords: COVID-19; centralized response and action system; emergencies; nosocomial infection; public health.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The human resource allocation strategies in response to COVID-19.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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