TOP EPIDEMIOLOGIST ON DUTY

TOP EPIDEMIOLOGIST ON DUTY

i Lanjuan， a famous epidemiologist and member of the expert panel appointed by the Chinese Government， has made great progress in helping prevent and control the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia. Recently， her team succeeded in the treatment of critical patients in Wuhan， Hubei Province in central China.

Born in 1947， Li has been engaged in clinical teaching and research of infectious disease for nearly four decades. She also focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of liver failure and the development of an artifi cial liver.

In 2003， during the severe acute respiratory syndrome （SARS） outbreak， she minimized losses as the director of the health department of Zhejiang Province in east China by adopting effective measures such as self-monitored quarantine. At the same time， she successfully cultured and isolated the SARS virus and completed its genetic sequencing.

Her team has made comprehensive breakthroughs in infectious diseases including molecular structure and the origin of viruses， fast detection， virus culturing， vaccine development and clinical therapy， and has played a crucial role in curbing the spread of the H1N1 virus.

Li was selected as an academician of the China Academy of Engineering in 2005.

Toward a Bright Future

People.cn February 8

The battle against the novel coronavirus pneumonia is part of human progress. The disease poses a serious threat to peoples life， but it also pushes people to fight shoulder to shoulder， setting differences aside.

For any country， a war against infectious disease is a test of its capability and governance system. However， beside dealing with the threat of epidemics， countries must also share relevant data and materials effectively with the international community.

Chinas rapid response to this outbreak was seen as it reported relevant information to the World Health Organization （WHO） and countries and regions in a transparent， responsible and timely manner. WHO experts were invited to conduct investigations in Wuhan， the epicenter of the outbreak in Hubei Province， central China. These actions benefi t not only China， but also the rest of the world.

Today， globalization brings people closer， which can also result in increasing the possibility of spreading viruses and diseases. This is a new challenge for professionals in epidemic prevention and control. On the bright side， the development of technology and the ability to deal with public health events， combined with international coordination mechanisms such as WHO， will create more positive communication and cooperation.

After companies and industries resume production， they still need to solve problems of personnel， logistics， and living and working environments before the virus is completely under control. Relevant departments and local governments must map out scientifi c policies and coordinate all forces. Companies that meet the standard of reopening thus can minimize economic loss as much as possible.

All these diffi culties can be overcome. The epidemic will only create a temporary negative effect on the economy， as the Chinese people have the capability， determination and courage to beat the virus. What is apparent is that Chinas economy has great potential due to its resilience， which is why the trend of sound， highquality economic growth continues.

DOCTOR RINGING ALARM BELLS DIES

Li Wenliang， who was among the fi rst batch of doctors to warn about the novel coronavirus， died of the disease on February 7. The 33-year-old ophthalmologist worked at the Central Hospital of Wuhan in Hubei Province， central China， and noticed a report of seven pneumonia cases of unknown etiology on December 30， 2019. He warned in a WeChat group that a virus similar to the one that caused severe acute respiratory syndrome had appeared.

Local police， fearing his warning might cause a false alarm， reprimanded him for spreading rumors on the Internet. At that early stage， few respiratory physicians knew about the novel virus， and research into the virus was just beginning.

Li was later infected by the virus while treating a patient in midJanuary. He remained upbeat and said he planned to return to work after recovering to fi ght alongside his fellow doctors. Unfortunately， his condition worsened and despite attempts at resuscitation， the disease took his life.

After Lis death， the public posted their condolences on social media. An investigation team has been dispatched by the National Supervisory Commission to Wuhan to probe issues related to Lis case.

“Since the recovery of the service industry may be slow given consumers lasting concerns about outdoor gatherings， the focus of economic recovery should be directed at the primary and secondary industries in the first quarter after the epidemic ends.”

Su Jian， a professor at Peking University， in an interview with Economic Daily on February 11

“My greatest concern is that a decline in figures may lead people to lower their guard and overlook new infections of the novel coronavirus. After overcoming this barrier， we will be one step closer to final victory in the battle.”

Zeng Guang， chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention， writing on Weibo on February 12

“This coronavirus， which started in Wuhan， China ... is not called the ‘China virus and neither was H1N1 called the ‘America virus.These vicious， political， xenophobic racist attacks and smearing of all things China needs to stop.”

Mario Cavolo， a U.S. writer living in China for nearly 20 years， posting on LinkedIn on February 5

“We have to shut these wild animal markets. If we dont do that， we will see one of these emerging infectious diseases every couple of years.”

Dr. W. Ian Lipkin， a U.S. infectious disease expert known as one of the worlds leading “virus hunters，” after arriving in China on February 5 to help contain the novel coronavirus epidemic