Brave children impress doctors in Tianjin

Doctors at Tianjin's Haihe Hospital, the designated COVID-19 treatment hospital in the city, say children infected with the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus have been "extremely cooperative, obedient and brave "during treatment.

Seventy-eight children aged 2 to 14 have received treatment at the hospital during China's largest outbreak of locally transmitted Omicron infections, which began on Jan 8.

The city reported 33 new confirmed cases of local transmission on Sunday, bringing the total in the latest outbreak to 214.

The number of young patients is decreasing, but their health conditions have attracted nationwide attention.

Tianjin Municipal Health Commission spokesman He Peng told a news conference on Sunday, "We're trying to provide particular care for those children aged 2 to 14, including health education programs and psychological consultation."

Members of 21 families with children have received treatment for Omicron infections at Haihe Hospital, with adults and children being cared for in different zones. Parents have been able to maintain frequent video contact with their children, and the hospital is also providing special food and paper cutting and painting programs for the children.

"The children are not isolated from their friends, as arrangements have been made to keep them together," He said.

Zhang Boli, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a top traditional Chinese medicine expert said last week that great emphasis had been placed on the care of child patients.

"The children at Haihe Hospital are quite obedient and cooperative in taking the traditional Chinese medicines prescribed by the expert teams," he told a news conference on Tuesday. "The majority of them are having mild symptoms, and we have full confidence that they will recover soon, based on our treatment project."

Zhang said doctors specializing in Western medicine and TCM have teamed up to offer treatment.

Liu Wei, director of Tianjin Children's Hospital, one of the country's largest children's hospitals, said, "In response to the Omicron outbreak, our hospital has sent as many as 49 doctors and nurses to join the doctors at Haihe Hospital."

The first batch of doctors and nurses arrived at Haihe Hospital on the morning of Jan 11, and an expert in infectious disease prevention joined them the next day.

"They have experience in helping child patients, and many of the seasoned doctors took part in COVID-19 pandemic treatment in 2020," she said. "They are determined, patient and sincere with the children, and we believe they can help the patients with dedicated professionalism and deliver sincere love to them."

Zhang Ying, a doctor from the pediatrics department at the General Hospital affiliated with Tianjin Medical University, also went to help at Haihe Hospital, along with 10 colleagues.

"In the very beginning, we were truly worried about whether the children could cry or scream and be uncooperative with the doctors without their parents," she said, but added that "they seemed to grow up within one night, becoming extremely cooperative with doctors".

"Their determination and bravery are beyond our expectations," Zhang said.

The doctors held a birthday party for a 10-year-old girl last week, to which her roommates were invited.

Li Xinmin, a doctor from the pediatrics department at the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and another member of the support team at Haihe Hospital, said: "We told them that the TCMs taste bitter. However, they can cure your disease and help you recover, so let's try together … then the children raised their fists to show their confidence. Their cute and cooperative behavior has impressed us."

The doctors and the children, who are gradually recovering, are keeping in video contact with the children's parents every day to report their progress.

Xinhua contributed to this story.