In China's Zhoukou, doctor charged for treating patient with fever; may face 7 yrs in jail

A doctor in China's Zhoukou has been charged with a crime after treating a fever patient in a hospital without a fever clinic, BBC reported on January 11. The doctor, identified as Guo, was accused of obstructing the prevention and control of contagious diseases. Guo treated the patient at a hospital in Zhoukou from October 29 to November 2 last year, according to a notice from officials in Henan province.

Only specially designated hospitals in China can treat patients with possible COVID symptoms. China has a zero-COVID policy in place, with a severe removal plan. Guo was the vice-director of a hospital that had not established fever clinics as part of its operations. In China, doctors are prohibited from treating patients with Covid-like symptoms in hospitals that lack fever clinics. Instead, patients are supposed to be referred to "fever clinics." These medical clinics were established in 2002 to treat the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak.

According to state-run news agency Xinhua, Guo may face up to seven years in prison if convicted. In areas like Xi'an and Yuzhou, which were recently placed under total lockdown, China has been facing intermittent outbreaks of Covid, as well as growing cases of the extremely contagious Omicron strain. Authorities are already warning people to stay put ahead of the peak travel season of Chinese New Year, which begins at the end of January and lasts far into February and is expected to attract millions of tourists.

People infected with COVID, forced to live in metal boxes

Beijing is also preparing to host the Winter Olympics at the beginning of next month, putting its zero-COVID policy in jeopardy. Furthermore, the Daily Mail reported on Wednesday that people in China who are infected with the COVID-19 are forced to live in small metal boxes. The report goes on to claim that many of these victims are pregnant women and children. The Daily Mail report was based on videos depicting the situation in Xi'an, Anyang, and Yuzhou, where people had been isolated following the discovery of a few cases of Omicron.

According to the Daily Mail, 20 million individuals have been quarantined in various cities, including 13 million in Xi'an, and are living in tiny metal boxes. According to the media agency, these victims are given wooden boxes, a toilet and are forced to stay in the metal boxes for up to two weeks.

(With inputs from agencies)

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