SHANGHAI, April 13 (Xinhua) -- A tiered hospital admission and treatment mechanism is playing an active role in Shanghai's ongoing combat against COVID-19, said Qiu Haibo, an expert with the State Council joint COVID-19 prevention and control mechanism team.
In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Qiu said that the latest COVID-19 resurgence in Shanghai was caused by the transmission of the BA.2 Omicron sub-variant, which spreads quickly and unnoticed.
Asymptomatic and mild cases account for a high proportion of the total infections and are admitted to makeshift hospitals, while designated hospitals are treating those vulnerable groups, including the elderly, infants, young children, and pregnant women.
About 60 percent of the patients in designated hospitals have underlying diseases. The medical capacity of cardiology, respiratory and other diseases has been strengthened in those hospitals to ensure standard and timely treatment, said Qiu.
Though the BA.2 Omicron sub-variant is highly contagious, most infections subside in seven to ten days, he added.
More than 26,000 people have been discharged from the hospital or released from medical observation in Shanghai since March 1. The average stay in makeshift hospitals has been reduced to about a week, said local authorities.
The eastern Chinese metropolis with nearly 25 million residents registered 1,189 local confirmed COVID-19 cases and 25,141 local asymptomatic carriers on Tuesday. ■
