Medics battle COVID-19 in the countryside

Vulnerable groups

Before Jiang Daping had to rest at home on Thursday after developing COVID-19 symptoms that included high fever, fatigue and body aches, she had worked relentlessly for nearly three weeks.

Jiang, 44, a doctor at the village clinic in Xiawa, Xihe township, Shulan city, Jilin province, tested positive for the virus the day before.

"I began to show some mild symptoms on Tuesday, but there are only three doctors at the clinic who are responsible for providing medical services for more than 900 villagers," she said. "Therefore, we can only take a break when our symptoms become serious."

Jiang said most of the villagers are seniors and children, with the others earning a living in urban areas.

"Early this month, when the government introduced the optimized COVID-19 control policy, we issued notices to the villagers, urging them to prepare fever and cough drugs," she said. "Asymptomatic cases and patients with mild symptoms are advised to recuperate at home, avoid going out, and limit contact with their families. Patients with more serious symptoms should call the emergency medical number, 120.

"We also prepared drugs and antigen test kits at the clinic, but initially faced a shortage of supplies. We tried various ways to obtain drugs, including asking for help from the township hospital and clinics in other villages, as well as contacting drug suppliers.

"To date, about 20 percent of villagers have been infected. The number began to rise after college students returned from other regions."

Every day, doctors at the clinic receive some 15 villagers, giving them drugs or transfusions, according to their symptoms.

Doctors have also embraced online medical services to offer guidance to villagers via phones and WeChat groups.

Jiang said: "In March, we carried out thorough investigations of each villager, recording their health information, especially for key groups such as the elderly with chronic diseases, pregnant women and seniors living alone. With the health condition database we established, we can easily give treatment once they become infected."

"As 2023 and Spring Festival are coming, more villagers will return from outside areas, which may increase the risk of the virus spreading.

"We will focus on recording people's information, and remind them to monitor their health, wear face masks, and reduce contact with elderly family members, especially those with underlying conditions.

"Even though both occasions are very important for Chinese, we hope villagers can avoid unnecessary gatherings during this period. With the experience of fighting the pandemic over the past three years, we are confident of winning the fight."