China calls for strengthened psychological assistance in epidemic control

China has called for strengthened psychological assistance and social services for patients of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), quarantined persons and frontline workers in epidemic prevention and control.

Psychological assistance and social services should be carried out in both designated and temporary hospitals in Wuhan and other severely affected regions, according to a guideline jointly issued by the National Health Commission and the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

The guideline also asked local governments in severely affected regions to provide services to people under centralized quarantine, with focus on children, the elderly, disabled people, people with primary diseases and family members of those who died of the epidemic.

Health administration and civil affairs departments in severely affected regions should organize professional teams to provide online and offline psychological assistance for frontline medical workers and disease control personnel, as well as those who stick to their posts, including traffic police and community workers, according to the guideline.