The third group of medical staff from Shanghai on the frontline in Wuhan closes an intensive care unit as the number of patients discharged exceeds those being hospitalized.

The third group of Shanghai medical staff helping in central China's Hubei Province has closed an intensive care unit at the Wuhan No. 3 Hospital's Guanggu branch after an increase in the number of critical coronavirus disease patients being discharged.

Chen Erzhen, vice president of Ruijin Hospital and head of the group, said two ICUs at the hospital had been merged into one on Friday. "After working with the hospital staff for 38 days, now the number of patients is declining. So we merged the ICUs to better focus our strength on the rest of the critical patients."

So far, the group has treated nearly 300 patients and 150 have been released. In recent days, an average of five critical patients have been transferred to the hospital.

With the number of patients discharged now surpassing those being hospitalized, more and more beds are becoming vacant.

One of the last patients to leave the ICU before the merger was a retired medical worker in her 70s who had recovered after 21 days of treatment and will now be sent to her community for a two-week quarantine.

Ti Gong

Ti Gong