Reporter: Chen Lixia
Author: Chen Qian
Translated by: Zhu Tong, Wu Xia
On April 11, 38 reporters from 22 media outlets from all over the world walked into Leishenshan Hospital and Wuhan University, where they talked with experts, scholars, and the representatives of teachers and students to learn more about the treatment, prevention and control of COVID-19 and its related scientific researches.
The journalists came to Leishenshan Hospital that is taken over by Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University as their first destination, and attended the foreign news conference there. Chinese scholars including Prof. Wu Ping, vice president of WHU, Prof. Zhang Yuanzhen, and Prof. Wang Xinghuan, dean of Zhongnan Hospital and Leishenshan Hospital were also present at the press conference.
Professor Zhang Yuanzhen introduced to foreign reporters the effective treatment plans for COVID-19 patients adopted by Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University and the outstanding contributions made by its medical staff to combating the coronavirus outbreak. Prof. Zhao Yan, vice dean of Zhongnan Hospital, shared with foreign reporters the clinical experience in fighting the coronavirus at home and abroad. Prof. Yuan Yufeng, vice dean of Zhongnan Hospital and Leishenshan Hospital demonstrated the work done by Leishenshan Hospital in terms of coordinating different expert groups to set up different wards in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, and of preventing and controlling the coronavirus at the hospital.
At the Q&A part of the press conference, some journalists raised questions about the pandemic prevention and control in Leishenshan Hospital, which has attracted the global concern. Prof. Wang Xinghuan together with other experts present gave their responses to these questions. As Prof. Wang Xinghuan pointed, since “mankind is a community with a shared future and our common enemy is the novel coronavirus, only when countries all over the world join hands together can we cope with global risks and challenges and successfully wipe out COVID-19 as soon as possible.”
Then, foreign journalists accompanied by medical staff of Leishanshan Hospital visited the units for patients infected with the novel coronavirus. When a French journalist asked what the Chinese words written on the wall express, a Chinese medical worker from Leishenshan Hospital said that it means “we shall overcome!”. “Definitely!” The medical worker added, looking at the hand-drawing on the wall.
In the afternoon, some foreign journalists came to Wuhan University. At the news conference held in the Administration Building, Prof. Tang Qizhu introduced the current situation of Wuhan University, including its pandemic prevention and control, teaching and scientific research and international cooperation, especially the cooperation to fight against COVID-19. Professor Shen Zhuanghai also attended the meeting.
Prof. Tang Qizhu introduced that since the outbreak of COVID-19, Wuhan university has fully utilized its superb clinical condition and the advantages of its virus discipline, multidisciplinary cooperation and social sciences. Moreover, our university has fully supported its affiliated hospitals to fight on the front line of the coronavirus prevention and control, and achieved great success of curing a large number of patients. Meanwhile, the faculties of WHU has devoted to scientific researches to tackle critical medical problems to provide science and technology qualified for dealing with the pandemic. Remarkable achievements have been made in discovering and tracing virus, acquiring its transmission route, making viral nucleic acid detection and patient antibody detection, and diagnosis assisted by big data and artificial intelligence. Recently, our university also gives full play to the talent resources and successful experience in the control of COVID-19 outbreaks, actively sharing scientific data and ideas with medical workers and researchers from the United States and other countries and regions in Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia by means of organizing video conferences via the network platform. In this way, Wuhan University has contributed its strength and wisdom to the global battle against COVID-19.
After visiting the Administration Building and History Museum of WHU, foreign media reporters attended the seminar held in the lecture hall of the library, where 15 representatives of teachers and students including foreign teachers and international students of Wuhan university had a discussion with the reporters group. Prof. Zhang shaodong, dean of Undergraduate College, introduced the work of online teaching for students. Prof. Lan Ke, director of the State Key Laboratory of Virology, talked about the researches related to the novel coronavirus. Mr. Ren Chao from the Security Department reported the prevention and control of the pandemic. Prof. Xu Hui, vice president of the School of International Education, introduced the situation of international students staying at the university. Dr. Ghamgeen Izat Rashed, associate professor of the School of Electrical Engineering and Automation, shared his daily life and working conditions in Wuhan. Sun Hao, a postgraduate as student representative from the School of History, introduced the current lives of students staying at the university.
When it’s time for questions, the reporters asked experts and teachers over topics such as vaccine development and its application, virus variation, and measures to control the pandemic. Finally, Prof. Tang Qizhu said, “regardless of the fierce COVID-19 outbreak, we firmly believe that we shall pull it through. There is a similar case in the history that about fifty years ago, pulmonary tuberculosis was regarded as an incurable disease in many countries, but now it is almost completely overcome by human beings. What I mean is that with the joint efforts of countries over the world, we will eventually embrace the day of victory and return to our happy life.”
