SCIO briefing on the science-based treatment of severe COVID-19 cases

The State Council Information Office held a press conference Monday afternoon in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province, to brief the media and answer questions concerning the science-based treatment of severe COVID-19 cases.

China.org.cn March 21, 2020

Hong Kong China Review News Agency:

Thank you. Hong Kong China Review News Agency. My question is about ECMO. We know that ECMO is recommended for rescue treatment for severe cases. How do you assess the role that ECMO had played so far? Are there enough ECMO equipment for severe patients in Wuhan? Thank you. 

Du Bin:

Thank you very much, for that is a specific question for ICU doctors like me, but not for my colleagues. I don't believe ECMO plays an important role in the whole outbreak. For example, according to data, a couple of days ago, there were 260 patients still on the ventilator, and there are fewer than 30 cases treated with ECMO. Apart from this, we still have more than 4,000 patients hospitalized. I think that you can have your own judgment based on this number, that ECMO—although a technical innovation, and to some of my colleagues working here and working in other provinces, is a life sustaining treatment—but I don't believe, based on these numbers, it plays a significant role in decreasing the case fatality rate. Of course, it is a device to buy the time for the patient in order for the definitive therapy to have some effect. So, my personal impression is that, no.

Xi Yanchun:

OK, next question. Right area, third line. The gentleman. 

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