A team of medical experts from east China’s Jiangsu province visited three designated hospitals in Caracas, capital of Venezuela, and gave advice on the treatment of COVID-19 patients with critical illness at one hospital.

56 designated hospitals in Venezuela admit COVID-19 patients. Jose Jerena Hospital, one of the designated hospitals, has treated 1,110 people with respiratory diseases since the establishment of a quarantine zone for COVID-19 on March 14.

The Chinese expert group and their Venezuelan counterparts exchanged views on issues such as patient respiratory support, antiviral therapy, and steroid use. Professor Huang Mao of Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital, who is the leader of the medical team, suggested there should not be excessive use of antiviral drugs in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Personalized treatment such as organ maintenance and support should be done on the basis of multidisciplinary teamwork, he said.

The expert team also visited the isolation ward of the Venezuelan Capital General Private Hospital where they learned about the treatment of a COVID-19 patient with critical illness and gave suggestions for the patients' treatment, nursing and follow-up treatment.

The medical team from east China’s Jiangsu province arrived in Caracas, capital of Venezuela, on March 30. The team of 8 front-line experts from Jiangsu will help contain the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic in the South American country.