The pediatric departments of many Shanghai hospitals saw a rapid increase in the number of young patients this week, thepaper.cn reported Tuesday. The number of children requiring emergency treatment at Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, for instance, increased by 6.7 percent this week alone.
Qian Jihong, chief of pediatrics at Xin Hua Hospital, said many children are reporting symptoms of fever, vomiting and coughing, all mainly caused by the influenza (flu) virus and rotavirus.
Qian pointed out that children cannot immediately adapt to the city's dramatic temperature changes between late autumn and early winter, making their bodies more vulnerable to illnesses and disease.
Qian suggested that children should avoid large crowds and congested spaces and drink more warm water. "Teachers and pupils at schools should also open up their classroom windows to let out the fast spread of the virus," Qian added.
