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Background: Since December 2019, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan city and rapidly spread throughout China. Facing this kind of public health emergency, an efficient, fast and group communication method is needed.
Method: As a director of the department Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in a tertiary hospitals, which is the only designated one for diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 in a medium-sized city, I analyzed and summarized the “group function” of WeChat (Weixin, micro-message) App in working about COVID-19.
Results: By February 16, 2020, we have completed 1,526 citywide consultations and treatment of 322 inpatients, including 97 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, with the help of 12 WeChat groups by handy. The advantages of WeChat group are as follows: 1. Work efficiency can be improved greatly, saving labor costs. 2. Accurate and intuitive information can be gotten fast and timely, avoiding close contacting with COVID-19 patients. 3. Data and message in WeChat groups can be saved, arranged and reviewed at any time.
Conclusions: The “group function” in WeChat App plays a greater role in the public health emergent work about management, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.