Wuhan Doctor Creates Group Chat for Global Health Professionals

Ye Baixin,an associate chief physician from the Hematology Department of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University and an active internet user,has always recognized the significant role the internet played in life.In January,he called on his Chinese alumni in the US to donate medical materials to Wuhan.In March,he called for donations for foreign countries.Through his communication with the frontline medics overseas,Ye came to know what the foreign counterparts needed was not only medical supplies,but also relevant knowledge,experience,and confidence in defeating the disease.So he wanted to do something to help them.

On March 22,Ye started a WeChat group chat dedicated to COVID-19 experience sharing.Soon many doctors in China and their foreign counterparts who were fighting at the frontline against COVID-19 joined the chat room.Within hours 500 doctors joined in,reaching the maximum number of one group chat.Then Tencent,the company that runs WeChat,updated it into a “corporate chat room” that allowed 10,000 members to join.Functions like live broadcast,videoconferences,and remote consultation were available.Now,more than 2,500 medical workers from over 20 countries including the US,Germany,France,and Italy are in the chat room,with 485 from China.Some prestigious Chinese medical experts as Prof.Zhang Wenhong from Huashan Hospital of Fudan University,Prof.Zhang Jinnong from Wuhan Union Hospital Affiliated to Huazhong University of Science and Technology,Prof.Hu Ke from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University are all members.They are engaged in communicating with foreign counterparts about COVID-19,offering their professional suggestions.Hence doctors have gained more confidence in their fight against the virus.

The platform works 24/7.“For doctors,every minute counts.Every question asked in the group might be a matter of life or death,” said Ye Baixin.The staff are all volunteers who are fully aware of the pandemic in the world that some of them are still answering questions even late at night,sharing their own experience in the battle.Up to May 9,they had already organized 10 video conferences.

In the first conference on March 28,Prof.Zhang Jinnong,director of the Emergency Department at Wuhan Union Hospital,recalled his personal struggle with the viral infection and his own reflections on the treatment.Ye Baixin would collect questions from overseas medics beforehand and transfer these questions to speakers.This way,the speaker could tailor their content to audiences.Each video conference has been recorded and can be replayed so that they are available to viewers in different areas and countries.

Dr.Ye Baixin shows the WeChat group chat to the reporters葉柏新向記者展示正在熱烈討論的全球抗疫交流群

葉柏新，中國武漢大學人民醫院血液科副主任醫師，特別看重網絡的力量，也是一個網絡積極分子。今年1月和3月，他曾呼吁海外華人校友募集醫藥物資援漢，又號召大家募集物資援外。交流中，他得知海外醫生不僅缺物資，還缺知識、經驗和信心，想幫他們做點力所能及的事。

為了這個樸素的愿望，3月22日，他發起建立了一個治療COVID-19 的經驗交流群，國內同行踴躍參與，海外同行也不斷把他們奮戰在抗疫一線的同行拉進群里，人越來越多，數小時內，加群人數就達到500 人限額，騰訊公司特意將其擴容為“萬人群”，可以實現直播、病例討論、遠程會診等。如今，已有來自美國、德國、法國、意大利等20 多個國家的2500 余名醫務人員加入。其中，中國醫務人員485 名，復旦大學附屬華山醫院張文宏教授、華中科技大學附屬武漢協和醫院張勁農教授、武漢大學人民醫院胡克教授都在其中，他們提供專業指導，傳遞信心力量，和世界同行切磋交流。

交流群24 小時有人應答。“醫生們必須爭分奪秒，在看不見的那頭，可能就關乎一個生命的救援。”葉柏新說。群成員都是志愿者，但心系世界疫情，有的深夜還在線應答，分享自身治療經過。截至5月9日，群里已經進行了10 場直播。

3月28日，首場直播中，張勁農講述了自己曾不慎感染新冠肺炎的經歷，以及在治療過程中的心得。在后來的直播前，葉柏新先通過接龍的方式征集海外醫務人員的問題，讓直播的主講教授更具針對性；每次直播內容都可重播，以滿足不同地區同行的時差需求。

American doctors show the masks donated from Wuhan doctors美國醫生收到武漢同行捐贈的口罩

On May 2,Song Enfeng,director of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Department at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University shared his experience of battling against the epidemic by applying TCM clinical treatment through the live streaming.“TCM has accumulated rich experience of treating various epidemics in the past thousands of years.With oriental wisdom offered in TCM,we have confidence in coping with COVID-19,and we do have some good curative effects,” said Song.It has been proven that TCM has played a positive role in relieving symptoms of sore throat,cough,and restoring fatigue in clinical treatment.Song’s lecture caused a sensation among the viewers—some foreign medics were seeking out the mysterious oriental medicine.Ye himself also mailed some Chinese patent medicines to his American tutor and two of his alumni abroad,and hope they would feel the charm of Chinese medicine.Ye said that some Chinese TCM experts had already accumulated some anti-epidemic resources and data which would be shared with international counterparts for further analysis.

“The platform is still at its early stage,with many details yet to be improved.Nevertheless,it’s a good beginning for many medical workers in the world who can learn from the Chinese experience in fighting against COVID-19.

No matter which country we are from,as a doctor,we have the responsibility to care for every patient,respect every life and save every patient.At this critical moment when the virus is plaguing the world,each group member is committed to helping and supporting each other,strengthening cooperation and sharing experience.We hope more medics overseas will join us.By working together,we will defeat the epidemic and safeguard our common community.It is the common aspiration of all medics since they joined the chat room.” (Translation: Liu Jie)

Song Enfeng,director from TCM Department at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University is live streaming through WeChat to share his experience of fighting against the epidemic武漢大學人民醫院中醫科主任宋恩峰在微信群里進行抗疫直播

5月2日，武漢大學人民醫院中醫科主任宋恩峰直播分享中醫藥抗疫經驗，他說：“中醫治療瘟疫數千年，以古老的智慧應對沉疴，我們有底氣，也確實收獲了療效。”他說，在臨床實踐觀察中，中醫藥對于減輕患者咽喉疼痛、緩解咳嗽癥狀、體力恢復有積極作用。講座一石激起千層浪，部分海外醫務人員紛紛尋求來自東方的神秘中藥。葉柏新也給在美國的導師及兩位校友寄出中成藥，讓他們真切感受東方醫藥的魅力。他說，抗疫期間，國內中醫專家們已積累了一些數據，經過系統分析后,不久將呈現給全球同行。

“交流群處在草創之初，還有諸多細節需要完善，但畢竟世界上有不少醫務工作者聽到、看到、借鑒到中國的抗疫經驗，這是個良好的開端。真誠關懷每一個生者、尊重每一個生命、全力拯救每一個病患，這是醫者良心，也是醫者之職，不分國界。在病毒肆虐的當下，守望相助、加強合作、共享經驗，讓更多的海外醫務人員加入進來，最終攜手戰勝這場瘟疫，維護人類共同家園，這是交流群里每一位群成員所祈愿和秉持的。”葉柏新表示。

“武漢的防疫經驗啟迪著我們前行。”不少海外醫護人員表示。醫生Jennifer 在收到多位中國醫生發出的英文解答后，在群里連發了3 個點贊的“大拇指”。