XI LAUDS POST-90S GENERATION'S FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

President Xi Jinping praised China's post-90s generation for their dedication in the fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak, saying that they demonstrated by actions that they are capable of shouldering great responsibilities.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark in a letter replied on Sunday to the post-90s Party members of Peking University's medical team sent to Hubei.

TRADITIONAL TONIC FOR TREATMENT

In the battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak, traditional Chinese medicine has been playing an increasingly important role. The Sixth Hospital of Wuhan, Hubei province, was one of the first hospitals to use TCM to treat infected patients.

On Jan 12, the hospital mobilized a TCM department to prepare medicines to improve immunity and treat infections. The experts select different TCM prescriptions to treat patients depending on the severity of their condition. After the hospital was instructed on Jan 25 to only treat patients with fever, the department has produced 18 metric tons of TCM remedies.

Every day the staff members make thousands of servings of TCM "soup" that leaves behind 800 kilograms of residue from the herbs. China Daily photographer Wang Jing reports from Wuhan.

OVERSEAS CHINESE GET HELP FROM PHYSICIANS BACK HOME

With China getting the COVID-19 epidemic under control, more Chinese doctors here have joined hands to help the global community, especially overseas Chinese, better contain the fast-spreading pandemic.

In Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, which is the hometown of over 700,000 overseas Chinese, most of whom live in European countries like Italy and Spain, a team of more than 20 doctors from Wenzhou Central Hospital have been offering medical advice to overseas Chinese including on how to contain the virus. The doctors had all taken part in the city's fight against the epidemic a month ago.

At least seven WeChat groups, each with the maximum 500 members, were launched for overseas Chinese within two days in early March, with questions from each group being answered by doctors in Wencheng county in Wenzhou, said Li Shunhua, deputy director of the county's health bureau.

So far, more than 40 such WeChat groups have been launched to provide relief and professional medical advice to over 15,000 overseas Chinese from Wencheng.

Yang Zhengfei, 61, who live in Sardinia, Italy, said such online consultation has been a great relief.

"We Chinese here are really in a panic-Italy is the hardest-hit country in Europe. In addition, confirmed cases have recently been reported here," he said.

"Most Chinese here can't speak Italian, so it's nice to have doctors from our hometown answering our questions and relieving our panic and anxiety. I've recommended the service to all the Chinese here," he said.

The Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, in Hangzhou, launched similar services on Wednesday, allowing overseas Chinese to access domestic doctors through apps such as Alipay.

Doctors from the hospital are available online from 6 pm to 11 pm daily, and each inquiry should be answered within 24 hours, according to the hospital.

In Anhui province, Zhao Hong, a doctor at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, has offered free medical consultation to over 100 Chinese in Venice, Italy, and in Belgium.

"Many Chinese here previously contacted me and tried to fly back to China for fear of the fast-spreading pandemic in Europe. Now they said they felt at ease after consulting Zhao," said Zhang Jiabao, a Chinese resident of Venice.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny. - Albert Ellis