4 H7N9 avian flu patients were discharged from Gulou Hospital in Nanjing on May 15. A simple send-off ceremony was held by the hospital.
Gulou Hospital has admitted 6 H7N9 cases since March 27, among whom 2 are still in critical condition, including Nanjing’s first H7N9 patient, surnamed Xu from Jiangning District. Though still in ICU, Ms. Xu can already breathe without the aid of respirator. Another ICU patient is also recovering.
Wu Chao from the hospital’s infectious disease department said, the H7N9 virus would do damage to the patients’ lungs and could lead to pulmonary fibrosis, but it will get better with time. The hospital has scheduled a time table for the first follow-up visits to the patients, and will initiate a long-term follow-up plan.
According to the Department of Health of Jiangsu Province, the number of H7N9 infections has been decreasing. No new cases are reported in the past 20 consecutive days. Wu said, on current trends, the H7N9 influenza is coming to an end in Jiangsu.
Jiangsu has confirmed 27 H7N9 cases so far, with 10 discharged from hospital, 1 self-cured and 8 ended in death. Among the 8 cases still in treatment, most are in stable condition.
