ROCKVILLE, Va. — An American doctor who studied in China is urging the U.S. to listen to the lessons from those who first joined the battle against the novel strain of coronavirus.
"Pay attention to that dry cough, and wear some kind of mask," Dr. Rajan Patel, who is working in Rockville now, said.
The Chinese doctors who first took on coronavirus -- some who gave their lives in the fight -- have developed a manual on strategies to contain the pandemic. It's called the "Handbook of COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment."
Patel, who graduated from medical school in the Chinese city of Qingdao, thinks the handbook can help doctors in the states.
"If you have an atypical symptom, it's worth testing, because it could be COVID, and that's what the Chinese experience has shown, this manual has shown," he said. "Things to pay attention to would be things like diarrhea, G-I symptoms. Also,dry cough is another big one."
Patel also thinks more of us should be covering our noses and mouths -- if not with a mask, then with something else.
"This is part of Chinese culture -- everybody in China is wearing face masks," Patel said. "You have to wear face masks. You can't work without wearing a face mask."
The CDC is now reportedly considering recommending that people wear some kind of face covering, even if it's not a medical mask, to protect themselves and others.
"I think that's a great idea," Patel said.
Patel said he's skeptical of some of the numbers coming out of China, but he said if they really are down to very few or no new cases in Wuhan, they've done something amazing.
