Management of a "suspected ward" in a COVID-19 designated hospital in Wuhan

Abstract

During December 2019, an outbreak of unexplained pneumonia occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province. The disease was subsequently named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the causative virus as severe acute respiratory syndrome conronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Based on experience, it is vital to exclude or diagnose suspected patients as soon as possible to prevent disease spread. Our hospital is a COVID-19 designated hospital in Wuhan. During the epidemic period, there was a reconstruction of the medical facilities to accommodate patients with different disease status. We document the development of "suspected ward," a ward that cared for patients with suspected COVID-19, in a large designated hospital during the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan City, China, and explain the suspected ward spatial layout, organization structure, diagnosis, and treatment flow chart of suspected cases. The key characteristics of our "suspected ward" is isolation, triage, fast diagnosis, and rapid referral. Our description of this suspected ward provides a reference for further improvements in the care of patients with suspected disease in emergency medical institutions.