Managing patients with COVID-19 infections: a first-hand experience from the Wuhan Mobile Cabin Hospital

Chenyu Sun; Qibing Wu; Chengyuan Zhang

doi:10.3399/bjgp20X709529

The editorial by Cairns is a reminder of the continuing challenges posed by infectious diseases.¹

The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread to many countries² and threatens to overwhelm healthcare resources. To overcome the shortage of hospital beds and to allow for a centralised management of confirmed mild cases in Wuhan, mobile cabin hospitals (MCHs), also known as square cabin hospitals, have been converted from a sports stadium and convention centres.³ MCHs generally include a patient ward area, observation and resuscitation areas for severe cases, and areas for imaging and laboratory testing.⁴^,⁵ They are divided into contamination, semi-contamination, and clean areas and pathways. In the patient ward unit, beds are at least 1.2 metres apart from each other.³

The Sports Stadium Square Cabin Hospital in Wuhan started to admit patients on 12 February. Healthcare workers screened for patients with mild symptoms and asymptomatic carriers in the community by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and chest CT. Patients were admitted to square cabin hospitals according to clear criteria.⁴^,⁵ Otherwise, social distancing at home was applied, with follow-up. After admission, patients received supportive care for COVID-19 and underlying medical conditions. Medical staff examined patients several times a day to identify any deteriorating cases promptly and transfer patients to regular hospitals. Body temperatures were monitored four times per day, and respiratory rates, heart rates, and oxygen saturation twice per day. All patients were required to wear masks. Patients were followed up with chest CT and RT-PCR, and were discharged according to our discharge criteria.⁴^–⁶

In the Sports Stadium Square Cabin Hospital, an open space for patients to perform physical and rehabilitation therapy including dancing, walking, and tai chi was established, and entertainment such as books were also available. Patients had free access to daily necessities, food, and medications, and access to homemade food sent by their families. A decreasing number of new patients and more discharged patients each day were also observed in our unit at the Sports Stadium Mobile Cabin Hospital, demonstrating the benefits of establishing such hospitals. We believe it would be helpful to share our experience with healthcare workers worldwide to combat COVID-19.

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