Zhongshan Hospital shares experience on COVID-19 treatment

Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University was a mainstay in China’s battle against COVID-19. On February 7, Zhongshan Hospital dispatched an emergency medical team of 136 people to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak of COVID-19. The team took charge of two ICUs and worked relentlessly for 55 days in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan. Meanwhile, the remaining medical workers also spared no effort in curbing the spread of coronavirus back in Shanghai.

Zhongshan Hospital’s medical team to Wuhan

On April 8, Zhongshan Hospital held an online forum centering on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and the global developments of the pandemic, which attracted nearly 40,000 viewers worldwide.

Qin Jing, vice director of Shanghai Health Commission, and Professor Yuan Zhenghong, Chairperson of the committee of Shanghai Medical College affiliated to Fudan University, addressed the forum. They briefed on the proactive measures taken in Shanghai at different levels and acknowledged the contribution Fudan Zhongshan Hospital made to the fight against COVID-19.

Qin Jing

Yuan Zhenghong

Several medical experts made keynote speeches. Among them were Fan Jia, President of Zhongshan Hospital, who elucidated Zhongshan’s strategies for disease control, daily routine and staff protection. In addition, he stated that the hospital had joined the global race against the coronavirus, and that Zhongshan’s medical experts would readily lend a hand to the international community via telemedicine if needed.  

Professor Hu Bijie, Director of Infectious Diseases Department, shared his prediction of the developments of COVID-19 across the globe and proposed solutions based on COVID-19 management in Shanghai and the rest of China.

Fan Jia

Telemedicine Center for COVID-19 Pandemic Control

A book titled “Fudan Zhongshan Guidance of COVID Prevention and Control” was released.

The forum also featured the launch of the book Fudan Zhongshan Guidance of COVID-19 Prevention and Control, which sheds light on the widely applicable measures taken by Zhongshan Hospital. The book was translated into English, French, Spanish and Arabic and is now available from the official website of Zhongshan Hospital. (To download Fudan Zhongshan Guidance, please click “Read more" at the bottom of the page.)

The cover of the Guidance is a picture of Dr. Liukai from Zhongshan Hospital and an 87-year-old infected patient in Wuhan. 

Liu stopped to allow the patient appreciate the sunset on his way to get the latter a CT scan.

Photographer: Gan Junchao, a medical worker at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan.

The book elaborates on a wide range of aspects where hospitals should pay attention, from disinfection of medical equipment to the prevention and control procedures at different departments and clinics. For example, to prevent cross-infection, hospitals may divide their fever clinics into two areas, one for ordinary patients and the other suspected COVID-19 cases, including those with a travel history to Wuhan or in physical contact with confirmed cases. Besides, hospitals need to assign a number of CT scan rooms only for patients with fever.

The book was compiled mostly by three doctors, Song Yuanlin from the respiratory medicine department, Zhu Duming from ICU and Zhang Yuxia from the nursing department, who also shared their insights of the issues discussed in the book at the forum from their own professional perspectives.

Song Yuanlin

Zhu Duming

Zhang Yuxia

Following their speeches was an online dialogue held between medical experts from Zhongshan Hospital and their British counterparts to exchange views about how to implement measures for COVID-19 control and routine care. Some of the Zhongshan Hospital experts were members of the emergency team who just got back from Wuhan and are now in self-isolation. “The experience of Zhongshan Hospital is useful for medical institutions worldwide, especially large comprehensive health care providers,” said an international expert.

An international exchange panel took place as a parallel session of the forum. Before the forum, Zhongshan Hospital received a question from a cardiac surgeon from Cleveland Medical Center about the use of ECMO in treating critically ill cases. Given the intense interest, the hospital decided to add a panel discussion at the forum to further deliberate on this question. Medical experts from America, Italy, Japan and Korea attended the panel, delving into therapies for patients with severe conditions.

The forum lasted for about two hours and was joined by experts from over ten countries. Technical support of the forum was provided by Mindray, Tencent and Huawei, who also leveraged their own expertise and resources against COVID-19.