Has the office been looking a little empty this week? Winter, and especially early January, is a time of increased illness thanks to weakened immune systems and dropping temperatures, the perfect conditions for viruses to stay airborne and take hold.

This year, however, is proving particularly bad in several big cities, including Beijing, as influenza spreads and leaves many hospitals full and underprepared. The increase in sufferers is being put down the prevalence of a number of virus strains that had not otherwise been seen in the past few years, leading to a lack of immunity among the already vulnerable population.

The flu epidemic has been growing in recent weeks, with 5,298 flu cases reported in Beijing alone between Dec 18 and 24, an increase of more than 80 percent on the previous week, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

Regular medicines are unlikely to help fend off the flu unless you take them within the first 48 hours of having experienced symptoms

The spate of infections has even proven too much for one top-tier hospital in Tianjin, the Tianjin Haihe Hospital, which has had to temporarily shut its pediatrics ward due to sickness among its staff, reports Tianjin’s Metro Express.

In response to the epidemic, the National Health and Family Planning Commission held a press conference on Tuesday outlining the unusual circumstances. Jiao Yahui, deputy head of the commission’s medical administration and management bureau, did however make assurances that there is no cause for panic, as no mutations have been found that would make the virus stronger, more drug-resistant, or easier to transmit.

While flu vaccines are recommended by the World Health Organisation as a way to prevent the three dominant strains of flu, they have limited effect against B/Yamagta, the strain behind China’s outbreaks this winter. Traditional flu prevention tips such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle, good hygiene, and keeping distance from others, especially those who are sick, are your best bet at fending off the illness.

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Photos: zhytuku.china.com, pexels.com

This Wednesday (June 14) is World Blood Donor Day and this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) focusing its campaign on emergency situations and people affected by emergencies. “The event serves to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood,” the organization said, adding that blood services in many countries worldwide are facing the challenges of sufficiency and ensuring quality and safety.

“Blood is an important resource, both for planned treatments and urgent interventions,” WHO said. “It can help patients suffering from life-threatening conditions live longer and with a higher quality of life, and supports complex medical and surgical procedures. Blood is also vital for treating the wounded during emergencies of all kinds [like]natural disasters, accidents, armed conflicts. [It also] has an essential, life-saving role in maternal and perinatal care.”

In Beijing, the Beijing Blood Center in Tongzhou District is one of the few health facilities that stores a stock of different types of blood. Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU) has partnered with the center and organized blood donation drives for the past 15 years. The hospital says it maintains its own blood bank, though it acquires special blood types from the Beijing Blood Center.

Meanwhile, Oasis International Hospital says that the blood group China lacks most is the rare Rh negative type, nicknamed the “panda blood.” Oasis says that only three out of a thousand Chinese are born with this blood type.

In time for the observance of World Blood Donor Day, both hospitals will be holding a donation drive this week.

Blood Drive at Oasis International Hospital, June 14
Ages 18+. Oasis International Hospital is hosting a blood donation drive, in coordination with the Beijing Red Cross Blood Center. The drive will take place in Room 108  from 9am to 11.30am. Donors will be given an Oasis first aid kit as an incentive (see picture below). Oasis reminds donors to bring a Chinese ID or passport and to avoid alcohol, medication, or greasy food prior to the activity. To register, message Oasis’s official WeChat account (ID: MyOasis) or email Ashley.Gaul@oasishealth.cn with the following details: (1) Name; (2) contact number; and (3) blood type.

Beijing United Family Hospital Community Blood Drive, June 16

Ages 18-55. BJU invites everyone to join its blood donation drive, to be held on 3F Building 2 of its main hospital on Jiangtai Lu at 10am-3pm. The general criteria for blood donors are as follows:

1. 18-55 years old.
2. Have not donated blood within the last 6 months.
3. Weight over 45 kg (female) or 55 kg (male).

BJU reminds blood donors about eating light and healthy food the day before donation to avoid fat buildup as this may result in disqualification for donation. Donors must bring an official ID or passport. Before the donation drive, donors will be checked for blood pulse, pressure, body temperature, and hemoglobin (red blood cell) count. For more information about BJU’s blood donation drive, visit their website FAQ here.

Photos: rdelarosa0 via Pixabay (for the featured pic and blood bag); siberian_beard via Pixabay; Oasis International Hospital; Beijing United Family Hospital

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Urgent action is needed to change the way both doctors and consumers use antibiotics, to avoid a post-antibiotics era where these drugs no longer work at all, the World Health Organization (WHO) in China announced during the first ever World Antibiotic Awareness Week, from now through November 22.

“Antibiotics are a crucial part of modern medicine, but they have become victims of their own success. As a result of over-use and misuse of antibiotics by both doctors and patients, antibiotic resistance is a now a gravely serious global health problem – including here in China,” said Dr. Bernhard Schwartländer, WHO representative in China.

“Antibiotic resistance affects us all. It means infections which were once easily cured are becoming harder to treat, and common surgical procedures such as caesarian sections and appendix removals could become life-threatening due to the risk of untreatable infections,” Dr. Schwartländer explained.

Beyond the health system, the economic costs of antibiotic resistance are formidable – in China, one prediction estimates the loss of up to a million lives a year by 2050 – and if left unchecked, antibiotic resistance could wipe out up to 3.5 percent of global GDP by 2050.

In China, use of antibiotics is very high: over the past decade, more than half of outpatients in China have been prescribed antibiotics – far above the level recommended by WHO (less than 30 percent).

A new survey commissioned by the WHO for World Antibiotic Awareness Week also shows that public awareness in China about antibiotics and their use is low:

• 61 percent of survey respondents in China thought antibiotics were effective against colds and flu, despite the fact that antibiotics have no impact on viruses;
• 53 percent of survey respondents in China  thought it was okay to stop once taking antibiotics once they felt better, rather than completing the prescribed course of treatment; and
• 35 percent of survey respondents in China thought antibiotics were effective against headaches, which is not the case.

China has taken important steps over the last few years to address antibiotic resistance: for instance, in 2011, the Chinese government launched a nationwide campaign to improve the use of antibiotics by health workers and institutions, which has led to significant reductions in rates of antibiotic prescriptions.  

However, more needs to be done – both by health care professionals and patients.

“The WHO’s message for patients is this: don’t demand antibiotics from your doctor when you may not need them. Only take antibiotics when they are prescribed for you by a certified health professional. Always take the full course, even if you are feeling better. Never use leftover antibiotics, and never share your antibiotics with others,” said Dr Schwartländer.

“The magnitude of the problem of antibiotic resistance is enormous, and all of us have a role to play in addressing it. If everyone plays their part, we can ensure that these crucial drugs are still able to save lives in the years to come,” Dr Schwartländer concluded.

This post first appeared on thebeijinger.com on November 18, 2015.