To combat coronavirus, these doctors are helping Sacramento’s Chinese community on WeChat
As the deadly coronavirus has gripped the world’s consciousness, technology is playing a vital role in providing education, medical assistance and information about the fast-spreading illness. And its potential could save lives.
Chinese social media platform WeChat, for example, enabled a Sacramento individual, already in self-quarantine, to connect with a local doctor early February. Sacramento doctor Dr. Xin-nong Li consulted with the individual via phone and contacted the California Department of Public Health to get the individual tested. The individual, who later tested positive for COVID-19, received treatment and is now “recovering well,” according to Li.
Along with Li, Dr. David Zheng, a doctor practicing family medicine in Sacramento, belong to a group of doctors, physicians and engineers who voluntarily work together to inform the Chinese community in Northern California about public health issues on WeChat. They call themselves the Medical Urgency Alliance in the Sacramento Area.
The physicians, aware of the issues of cultural and language barriers between official public health guidelines and the public, decided to act.
“Regular people feel that the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is too big and not related to them,” Zheng said, noting there could be difficulty in comprehending the guidelines riddled with medical jargon.
The doctors began offering the Chinese community the information about the virus and prevention measures through a newsletter – written in Chinese using plainspoken, straightforward language – based on the CDC guidelines.
That was how the first Sacramento County patient, who was diagnosed earlier this month two weeks after returning from a trip to China, on got a hold of Li.
The alliance has published three editions of the newsletter since Feb. 6. Zheng’s office number, along with that of Li and another medical doctor, has been included starting from the newsletter on Feb. 10 to provide assistance.
Links to the CDC coronavirus guidelines were included, along with information about the incubation period of COVID-19, recommended number of days for self-quarantine, and latest updates from the CDC.
“We feel that we should take responsibility to educate Chinese fellows to be alert and take action to prevent the coronavirus in our metropolitan area,” Zheng said.
The doctors also give free consultation and screening via telephone to those concerned to minimize potential public health hazards, even if they haven’t met the person before. This could encourage individuals with financial burden to reach out to them first before having to immediately go to hospital emergency rooms, Zheng said.
Zheng tailored the CDC guidelines to the person’s situation during screening and used the individual’s language to explain about the coronavirus when he was on the phone with the individual.
“We want to let them understand the CDC guidelines. But if people still feel confused or uncomfortable with the guidelines, we come out to help them,” he said.
Zheng said he’s received at least eight calls for inquiry since the release of the alliance’s latest newsletter on Feb. 21.
15 associations are in solidarity with the alliance. Among them are the Chinese American Medical Association of California, the American Association of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, the California Chinese Engineers Association, California Northstate University, China National Day Foundation and Global Chinese Alliance.
Information and guidelines from the Sacramento County Public Health in Chinese can be found here.
This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 8:51 AM with the headline "To combat coronavirus, these doctors are helping Sacramento’s Chinese community on WeChat."