Hospital video shows distressing scene from coronavirus outbreak
While the city of Wuhan, China is in the midst of a coronavirus outbreak, a video posted to Twitter Friday, appears to show Wuhan's Red Cross Hospital overcrowded with patients. Staff in hazmat suits are seen walking past what appear to be bodies covered in sheets in the hospital's crowded hallways. It is not known when the video was shot, nor the condition of the covered patients or whether they have coronavirus.
The video of the overcrowded conditions match pictures published by local media in the past two days which, however, did not show anyone lying on the floor.
Hospitals in China are scrambling to treat the large influx of patients seeking treatment for possible cases of coronavirus.
“Shortage of medical supplies, request help!” Wuhan's Children's Hospital posted on Weibo, China's social network, in a plea for items like surgical masks, disposable clothing, gloves and goggles. Several other hospitals have posted similar requests.
In the meantime, Wuhan broke ground on a brand new, 1,000-bed hospital to address the outbreak, expected to be completed by Feb. 3. The city is following the lead of Beijing, where a similar fast-tracked hospital was built to address the 2003 SARS outbreak.
More than 800 people in China have been sickened by the new coronavirus. At least 26 people have died of the disease.
