While the novel coronavirus keeps spreading within China, many hospitals and companies have launched free online medical consultation services to ease the pressure on offline clinics and reduce the chance of cross-infection.

Tongji Hospital, affiliated with Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, is one of the hospitals providing online consultation services. Patients can access free consultation services via video, voice or text on their cellphone and doctors can check patients' inspection reports and offer guidance and advice online.

On the first day the services were launched, about 400 experts from the hospital provided consultation services through its official app and WeChat, a Chinese social media platform, for over 10,000 people. So far, more than 40,000 people have received online services from the hospital.

"The model of 'quarantine at home + online medical consultation services' can relieve the anxiety of patients, effectively curb the spread of the epidemic and efficiently utilize the limited medical resources," said Wang Wei, president of Tongji Hospital.

Meanwhile, more than 10 internet platforms such as WeDoctor, Alibaba and JD.com have joined the battle against coronavirus by providing free medical consultation services online.

According to WeDoctor, by Saturday noon, its free consultation platform accumulated over 94 million visits. A total of 19,589 physicians have offered medical consultation services to 1,050,867 visitors.

WeDoctor recommends two groups of people to use online medical services: people who have mild symptoms, and people who are out of reach of professional medical treatments due to limited local medical resources. The online method provides these patients with a platform to contact good hospitals and good doctors.

However, those who have had a fever that does not improve after 1 to 2 days of staying at home, or have recently been in close contact with patients who have a fever and a cough, or have visited densely populated places, are still recommended to go to hospital as soon as possible. In addition, on the way to hospital, patients and accompanying family members should try to avoid taking public transportation and wear facial masks.