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Health Care Science 2023, 2(3): 135-152 https://doi.org/10.1002/hcs2.45
Practice and Policy | Open Access | Issue | Published: 17 May 2023

Evolution and major changes of the diagnosis and treatment protocol for COVID‐19 patients in China 2020–2023

Show Author's Information You Wu1,2,3 ( ),  Xiaoru Feng1,  Mengchun Gong4,  Jinming Han5,  Yuanshi Jiao6,  Shenglong Li7,  Tong Li8,  Chen Shen9,10,  Huai‐Yu Wang11,  Xinyu Yu12,  Zeyu Zhang1,  Zhengdong Zhang13,  Yuanfei Zhao14,  Peng Zhou15,  Haibo Wang16 ( ),  Zongjiu Zhang1,2
Institute for Hospital Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Department of Health Policy and Management, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
Digital Health China Technologies, Beijing, China
Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Chemical and Radiation Threats and Hazards, Imperial College London, London, UK
National Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution and Preventive Treatment of Diseases, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
Department of Neurosurgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
Department of Neurosurgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
Clinical Trial Unit, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen University, Guangzhou, China
Keywords:
treatment, diagnosis, clinical guideline, COVID‐19
Cite this article:
Wu Y, Feng X, Gong M, et al. Evolution and major changes of the diagnosis and treatment protocol for COVID‐19 patients in China 2020–2023. Health Care Science, 2023, 2(3): 135-152. https://doi.org/10.1002/hcs2.45
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Abstract Full text About this article

Since the identification of the first case of pneumonia of unknown cause in 2019, the COVID‐19 pandemic has spread the globe for over 3 years. As the most populous country in the world, China's disease prevention policies and response plans concern the health of the country's 1.4 billion people and beyond. During the course of the pandemic, scientific research has been accumulated and given evidence‐based support to the official guidance of COVID‐19 management. The National Health Commission of China have compiled, published, and updated a total of 10 versions of the “Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for COVID‐19 Patients” to better inform clinical practitioners and staff to effectively screen, diagnose, manage, treat, and care for cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. This paper compares and summarizes each version of the protocol in terms of etiology and epidemiology, clinical manifestation and diagnosis, treatment and nursing, disease control and management, presenting detailed changes, additions, deletions, and refinement of the protocols.


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About this article

Evolution and major changes of the diagnosis and treatment protocol for COVID‐19 patients in China 2020–2023

Show Author's information You Wu1,2,3 ( ), Xiaoru Feng1, Mengchun Gong4, Jinming Han5, Yuanshi Jiao6, Shenglong Li7, Tong Li8, Chen Shen9,10, Huai‐Yu Wang11, Xinyu Yu12, Zeyu Zhang1, Zhengdong Zhang13, Yuanfei Zhao14, Peng Zhou15, Haibo Wang16 ( ), Zongjiu Zhang1,2
Institute for Hospital Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Department of Health Policy and Management, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
Digital Health China Technologies, Beijing, China
Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Chemical and Radiation Threats and Hazards, Imperial College London, London, UK
National Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution and Preventive Treatment of Diseases, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
Department of Neurosurgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
Department of Neurosurgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
Clinical Trial Unit, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen University, Guangzhou, China

Abstract

Since the identification of the first case of pneumonia of unknown cause in 2019, the COVID‐19 pandemic has spread the globe for over 3 years. As the most populous country in the world, China's disease prevention policies and response plans concern the health of the country's 1.4 billion people and beyond. During the course of the pandemic, scientific research has been accumulated and given evidence‐based support to the official guidance of COVID‐19 management. The National Health Commission of China have compiled, published, and updated a total of 10 versions of the “Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for COVID‐19 Patients” to better inform clinical practitioners and staff to effectively screen, diagnose, manage, treat, and care for cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. This paper compares and summarizes each version of the protocol in terms of etiology and epidemiology, clinical manifestation and diagnosis, treatment and nursing, disease control and management, presenting detailed changes, additions, deletions, and refinement of the protocols.

Keywords: treatment, diagnosis, clinical guideline, COVID‐19

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Received: 11 February 2023
Accepted: 13 April 2023
Published: 17 May 2023
Issue date: June 2023

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© 2023 The Authors. Tsinghua University Press.

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