Client of China Youth Daily, Beijing, March 15 (China Youth Daily, China Youth Daily reporter Liu Changrong) At the press conference of the State Council’s Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism held this afternoon, the Deputy Director of the National Health Commission’s Bureau of Disease Control, Lei Zhenglong, a first-level inspector, said that in the recent epidemic, we have also seen a certain proportion of infections among the elderly. The elderly and people with underlying diseases are prone to severe, critically ill and even death after infection with the new crown virus. These groups of people benefit the most from the new crown vaccine.
Wang Huaqing, chief expert on the immunization program of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at the press conference that since the end of last year, the prevalence of the Omicron variant has brought greater harm to the elderly. In some countries and regions, there is no vaccination. Or the elderly who have not been fully vaccinated, the number of deaths and severe cases has exceeded the highest level in history. Therefore, under the current circumstances, the new crown pneumonia cannot be treated as an ordinary flu.
“We need to be vigilant and do a good job of prevention and control. The elderly should be vaccinated throughout the process, and it is very necessary to strengthen the needle. In addition, we should further emphasize the protection, especially the personal protection of the elderly in gathering places and related Management measures must be in place, so as to avoid the harm of clustered epidemics among the elderly.” Wang Huaqing said.
Jiao Yahui, director of the National Health Commission’s Medical Administration and Hospital Administration Bureau, said at the press conference that according to current statistics, about 65% of severe patients with new coronary pneumonia are elderly people over 60 years old. Among the severely ill elderly people over 60 years old, 80% have underlying diseases. Among the elderly with severe type, 65% have not been vaccinated. “This is why the state advocates that the elderly, especially the elderly, should be vaccinated in time.”
Jiao Yahui said that since the outbreak in Wuhan, my country has strengthened the medical treatment of elderly new crown cases in a targeted manner. For the elderly with high risk factors, they are admitted to the “sub-ICU” ward when they are not admitted to the intensive care unit. The ratio of medical and nursing force in the “sub-ICU” ward is higher than that of the general ward. The focus is on strengthening the monitoring of the changes in the condition of the elderly, especially the changes in blood oxygen saturation. Once it is found that there is a trend of aggravation, it will be transferred to the ICU for treatment in time.