Chapter 641
Things are getting serious
Chapter 641 Things are getting serious
At first, nobody took the flu that was sweeping the country seriously.
The flu comes in two waves every year. People with strong immune systems can just tough it out.
If you really can't bear it anymore, then treat the symptoms.
"How about we ask our son to take a few more days off? Summer vacation isn't far off anyway."
During dinner, Guo Lidong was restless and made a suggestion.
Grandma Guo glanced at him and said in surprise, "Did the sun rise in the west? Usually, as long as Xiaoqiang's fever doesn't reach 39 degrees, you let him go to school."
Guo Lidong poked at the rice in his bowl with his chopsticks, looking worried: "My colleague's child has been admitted to the intensive care unit."
"Ok?"
“That child is in the third year of junior high school, which is a crucial time. He caught the flu two weeks ago and hasn’t gotten better. He’s been feeling dizzy all the time, so Old Zhao gave him aspirin.”
The atmosphere at home became somber.
Old Zhao's son, whom they had watched grow up, was well-behaved, obedient, and did well in his studies.
His junior high school teachers all said he could get into a top high school.
Why is this child so unlucky?
Grandma Guo put down her chopsticks and sighed, "You ended up in the hospital because of taking aspirin?"
"Yes, they say it's Reye's syndrome, which is quite serious and might not be curable."
Guo's mother patted her son's head, her eyes full of worry: "Take him a leave of absence. This wave of flu is too serious, the course of the disease is long, and the symptoms are severe. The group of children in Xiaoqiang's class who were sick haven't recovered yet."
Grandma Guo nodded in agreement: "Old Yan isn't better either. He's tried all sorts of medicine, but he just isn't getting better."
Grandpa Guo: "More than half of the people in our courtyard have caught the flu."
The whole family agreed to ask Guo Xiaoqiang for leave.
Despite it being the height of summer, coughs could be heard everywhere in Anning County.
In pharmacies, cold medicine, cough medicine, and fever medicine are selling extremely well; in fact, many medicines are out of stock.
The hospital outpatient department was packed, and the infusion room was overflowing. Many patients had to carry their medications and receive their infusions in the corridor.
Community hospitals and small clinics were extremely busy. Medical staff were coughing and spitting out diagnoses while prescribing medications.
Due to a shortage of staff, the medical staff had to take turns working, and they hadn't had a break for almost half a month.
"Director Bai, cough cough cough. Blood tests show elevated white blood cell count, which indicates inflammation. I'll order a CT scan to check your lungs."
The head of Binjiang Road Police Station, his face flushed and breathing labored, said, "Okay, thank you, doctor."
After receiving the form, Director Bai went to pay the fee.
There were so many people in the hospital that the line to pay almost stretched all the way to the stairwell.
Director Bai felt weak all over, and his chest burned with every breath he took.
He leaned against the wall, his eyes lowered, a rumbling sound in his ears, like the sound of blood flowing in his veins.
The cell phone in my pocket was ringing; it was the office phone.
"Chief, Charlie wants to go back to America. He's flying to the capital tonight, and then from there to New York. What should we do?"
Director Bai perked up: "But he's not staying in the Dongguo Market?"
"I heard that Wang Shuxiang, the purchasing manager of Pang Donglai, refused to let Lelego join Pang Donglai. The American company is very dissatisfied with Charlie's work and has asked him to come back to report."
Director Bai frowned deeply.
They had no evidence of Charlie's crimes and could not stop him from leaving.
In Shanghai, the investigation into the middle-aged woman's identity has reached a stalemate, and the only recourse is to coordinate with police stations in various provinces and cities to assist in the investigation.
This workload is simply too great; there probably won't be any results in the short term. "Chief Bai? Should we continue tracking Charlie?"
Director Bai rubbed his temples, reluctantly saying, "Let's leave it at that for now. Once we're sure he's left Anning County, we'll withdraw."
"Okay. Director Bai, how's your treatment going?"
"Still in line for X-rays. This year is really strange, why are there so many people with colds?"
At their Binjiang Road Police Station alone, more than 50 out of 70 staff members have caught a cold.
My colleague across from me sounded helpless: "It's the same all over the world. My friend at customs said that every new foreigner arriving has a cold."
Director Bai's throat was dry and hoarse, and he kept wanting to cough: "Alright, don't lose Charlie. I'll go back to the station after I finish taking the X-rays and seeing the doctor."
Director Bai hung up the phone and closed his eyes to rest.
When vision is turned off, hearing becomes exceptionally sensitive.
He accurately captured Wang Shuxiang's voice amidst the noise.
"Xiao He? Are you done with your work? Cough cough cough. Not done yet? Ah, I'm fine, just a little cold... umm umm, I'm already at the hospital, don't worry, I'll take care of myself... When are you coming back... I understand the confidentiality rules, I won't ask any more questions."
Wang Shuxiang's eyelids drooped little by little, her voice grew softer and softer, and her vision gradually blurred.
"By the way, Xiaohe, I need to tell you something. The research institute..."
Boom!
Before she could finish speaking, Wang Shuxiang collapsed straight to the ground.
Director Bai suddenly opened his eyes and shouted for help: "Doctor, nurse, someone has fainted!"
A brief commotion ensued at the scene, and doctors and nurses rushed over and took Wang Shuxiang to the emergency department.
Director Bai couldn't offer much help, so he could only pick up the phone that had fallen to the ground and hand it to the nurses at the triage desk.
His own physical condition was not good either; every step he took required all his strength.
Right after the X-ray, the doctor immediately pressed him down and admitted him to the hospital: "It's very serious pneumonia, he's already developed white lung, he must be hospitalized immediately."
Director Bai opened his mouth, as if to say that he still had work to arrange and that he was worried about Charlie.
But he couldn't speak and fell into a coma.
His and Wang Shuxiang's coma was like flipping a switch; one after another, patients who came to see a doctor or those already hospitalized fell into comas.
"Dean, this is the 10th patient to fall into a coma, and we can't find the cause!"
"Dean, there are 18 patients in the respiratory department who are in a coma."
"Dean, there are 32 cases in the emergency department." The head of the emergency department was stunned.
In the emergency room lobby, one patient after another collapsed without warning, startling the doctors.
"Oh no, the dean has fainted too!"
The vice president was in a panic and hurriedly called the city's central hospital for help: "Our county hospital is short-staffed, the beds are full, and the medical system is on the verge of collapse. We request help from higher authorities."
On the other end of the phone, the city's central hospital was in complete disarray. The person who answered was overwhelmed and on the verge of tears, saying, "We're in the same boat! More than 100 patients have fallen into unexplained comas."
孽 孽!
I'm not afraid of not being able to cure the disease; I'm afraid of not knowing what the disease is. I have no clue what tests to do or what medicine to take.
On this day, the entire medical system of the Eastern Kingdom faced an unprecedented and enormous challenge.
Requests for support were sent directly to the National Health Commission.
The members of the National Health Commission were completely bewildered and at a loss by this situation.
They anticipated an outbreak of influenza, but they did not expect it to be so severe, and that there would be a large-scale coma!