Recovered patients encouraged to donate their plasma

China will roll out steps encouraging patients cured of novel coronavirus pneumonia to donate blood plasma in an effort to improve the cure rate from the epidemic and reduce fatalities, according to a statement released after a meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday.

The meeting of the leading group of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on coping with the outbreak stressed the need to offer more medical treatment that combines the strength of multiple medical disciplines and prevents mild cases becoming severe ones. Plasma therapies proved effective in clinical use must be further promoted, the statement said.

There has been some progress in the selection and application of pharmaceuticals, and greater efforts must be made to speed up the clinical use of drugs proved effective, the statement added.

Participants at the meeting reiterated the importance of prioritizing protection and care for medical workers. Measures to improve their working conditions and protect their physical and mental health must be fully implemented, the statement said, adding that work must be done to ensure the supply of personal protective materials.

It urged all-out efforts to treat medical workers infected in the outbreak and prevent more workers from being infected. Medical institutions must assume their primary responsibility, troubleshoot loopholes that could lead to infections, offer training to all their staff and fully implement the technical guidebooks to protect medical workers, the statement said.

The meeting urged authorities to grant rest to medical workers who have been on duty for a long period of time as soon as possible, and to guarantee that the salaries, temporary subsidies and allowances of medical workers fighting the outbreak are issued in full.

It reviewed and approved a guidebook for businesses and government-affiliated institutions on resuming work and controlling the epidemic.

Businesses and institutions must step up the health monitoring and protection of workers and submit reports to authorities even if there is no case of infection. They must also reduce staff gatherings and group activities and adopt timely measures in cases of emergency, it said.

Local authorities and government departments must coordinate epidemic control and economic and social development with measures to rectify unreasonable practices affecting resumption of production, it said.

The meeting highlighted the need to solve problems of labor, logistics and funding for businesses, ensure spring agricultural production and enable more businesses to resume work in sectors including industries, transportation and major projects.

The State Council mechanism for coordinated epidemic control and prevention must step up the delivery of daily necessities to ensure supplies in Hubei province and Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. Also, local authorities must ensure a smooth handover process and a timely distribution of materials to residents, the statement said.