Ministry: No medical workers sent into Hubei infected

Of the more than 42,000 medical workers who traveled to Hubei province to help fight the COVID-19 outbreak there, none were infected, minister of the National Health Commission Ma Xiaowei told media on Tuesday.

Since Hubei was hit hardest by the virus in January, the central government group guiding epidemic control work has always made the rescue and treatment of patients the top priority, dispatching more than 42,000 medics from other areas to provide the province with assistance, he said.

Carrying medical supplies and equipment, these medical staff, including those specializing in intensive care and treating infectious diseases, rushed to Hubei, devoting themselves to the fight, he said.

While intensifying medical treatments to prevent patients with mild symptoms from becoming serious cases, the group also demanded medics protect themselves. "We're glad to see none were infected during this time, which was not easy," he added.

In the COVID-19 fight in Hubei, the group did its best to expand medical resources, such as building makeshift hospitals to offer more beds and further ensuring every patient in the province could receive medical treatment in a timely manner, he said.

Given the epidemic is still rampant in other countries and the risk of imported cases is rising, he added the group would continue medical treatment as the priority of its control work to win a final victory in the COVID-19 battle.