Since December 2019, multiple cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia have been identified in Wuhan and spread to other parts of China and other countries. To curb the spread of the epidemic, the First Hospital of Lanzhou University took strict measures such as setting up pre-examination triage points, rebuilding the fever clinic and isolation wards, organizing the COVID-19 treatment team and putting into action immediately. Meanwhile, the medical experts conducted various scientific researches centered on the epidemic characteristics of COVID-19, among which several research findings were published on the international top journals and entered into the nation’s latest Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol.

    By taking a series of preventive control and medical treatment measures, the epidemic situation has eased in Gansu province to a certain extent, but the incidence abroad is on the rise.

    Virus knows no borders. Yet, the worst of times reveals the best in people. With increased understanding of the clinical manifestations and pathology of the disease, and the accumulation of experience in diagnosis and treatment, in order to make joint efforts to fight against the pandemic, our hospital has conducted academic exchanges and experience shared meeting with our counterparts both in the Republic of Korea and UK, aiming to improve cure rate, reduce mortality rate and avoid nosocomial infection as much as possible.

      As of March 19, 2020, Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) in the Republic of Korea and the First Hospital of Lanzhou University (LZUFH) jointly held an online video meeting on COVID-19 clinical research.

    At the beginning of the meeting, Professor Qi Xiaolong, Assistant to the Dean of LZUFH and Director of the CHESS Center, Institute of Portal Hypertension, introduced COVID-19 epidemic situation in both hospitals to all attendees. The Director of Emergency Department, Professor Chu Pei shared a series of prevention and control measures taken by our hospital in the process of COVID-19 patients triage; Professor Mao Xiaorong, Director of the Infectious Diseases Department, shared the treatment procedures of two typical COVID-19 cases at LZUFH. And then Professor Luo Bin introduced his latest research on the influence of meteorological factors on the outbreak of COVID-19 in China.

      Later, Professor Soon Ho Yoon from SNUH introduced the first AI intelligent COVID-19 pneumonia automatic CT free quantitative software developed in collaboration with LZUFH. During cooperation, Professor Qi Xiaolong has published several significant papers, which laid preliminary research foundation for the development of the Software, including “CT Imaging of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): from the qualitative to quantitative” in Annals of Translational Medicine and “Machine learning-based CT radiomics model for predicting hospital stay in patients with pneumonia associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection: A multicenter study” in medRxiv.

    The two sides also conducted further discussion on future academic cooperation and exchanges. This meeting indicates the preliminary research findings and progress of COVID-19 pneumonia research led by LZUFH are of great significance to the fight against the epidemic, both in China and the world.

    On April 7, online communication has been conducted between LZUFH and our UK partner, James Cook University Hospital, focusing on how to treat the infected patients, especially those serious and critical cases. James Cook University Hospital is the biggest medical center in northeast Britain, specializing in emergent and acute medicine, respiratory medicine as well as critical care medicine.

   At the beginning, Vice President Zhao Da, on behalf of our hospital, introduced the development of COVID-19, national authoritative Diagnosis and Treatment Protocols and the related key content to the participants. He briefed on the epidemic situation in Gansu Province and combined with some specific measures taken by our hospital, covering the rapid response to COVID-19, admitting patients to the full capacity, the unique mode of Multi-Disciplinary Team treatment and applying integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment protocol, which were proved remarkable efficiency during the implementation at the First Hospital of Lanzhou University. Medical Director David Chadwick from UK introduced their situation and expressed their concerns on the high fatality rate of critical cases as well as high infective rate among medical workers and proposed many questions to be further discussed.

    The experts who have been fighting in the front line and dedicated themselves to COVID-19 scientific researches and clinical treatment, involving emergency medicine, respiratory diseases, radiology and intensive care, introduced the coronavirus treatment experience of our hospital varying from the diagnostic key points of CT imaging, treatment plans for critical cases to the infectious prevention and control.  

    Based on the previous reports, professor John Williams from the Department of Infectious Diseases together with seven other foreign experts posed many professional questions centered on the treatment of COVID-19 patients, including screening strategies, quarantine measures, specific drug application, treatment of critical cases, discharge criteria as well as after-discharge considerations. And the medical specialists at the meeting answered those questions one by one according to their clinical experience and the latest researching findings.

    At the end of the meeting, on behalf of the James Cook University Hospital, David Chadwick extended their appreciation and said, “your experience is very useful and important to us!”

    As it was concluded by Vice President Zhao Da, “It is agreed that the COVID -19 expert team of LZUFH would continue to work alongside our medical counterparts in the UK and other countries. These academic exchanges would involve sharing relevant information about epidemic prevention and control, as well as China’s experience in the continued study of COVID-19. The close cooperation between LZUFH and our foreign medical counterparts will be a joint endeavor in finding effective ways of treating COVID-19 and overcoming the pandemic, which in the end contributes to the construction of the community of shared future for mankind!”

    It is true that the virus is a common enemy of humanity. It falls on all of us to rise to the occasion and meet this challenge with solidarity and concerted action. Working together in partnership is the right way forward. The First Hospital of Lanzhou University is going to keep communication and cooperation with our partners across the world in navigating these tough times with the belief that together we will prevail over the pandemic.

By Lin Juanzhen/Liu Yatao

Edited by Office of International Cooperation and Communication