On 11 Apr 2020, Dr Bi Jie HU, a Professor and Head of Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Infection Management at Zhongshan Hospital, gave a video presentation about his recent experience as a clinician during the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in China.

The presentation included valuable commentary on how Zhongshan Hospital, a major tertiary teaching institution affiliated with Fudan University in Shanghai, developed diagnostic and treatment protocols to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as clinical case sharing to highlight their evolving approach to the crisis.

Dr Hu’s experience highlighted the important role that laboratory diagnostics play in China’s management of the outbreak over the past few months, including detail on the following:

• Considerations around how to implement RT-PCR, viral gene sequencing and serum antibody testing for COVID-19 detection.
• How Zhongshan and other hospitals are using pulmonary imaging to supplement lab testing for COVID-19.
• The importance of biomarkers like IL-6 and CD4 to support disease progression monitoring and management of severe and critical cases.
• Protocols for patient discharge, including diagnostic requirements in China.

Dr Hu’s presentation was part of a broader webinar that was co-hosted by the Asia Pacific Association of Critical Care Medicine (APACCM) and Roche Diagnostics. The webinar also included a presentation about the clinical implications of host immune response in severe COVID-19 pneumonia, which was delivered by Dr Xie Li Xin, a Professor and Head of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Medicine at the People’s Liberation Army General Hospital in Beijing, China.

Watch Dr Hu’s presentation below (or visit this link to see the full webinar, including a second presentation by Dr Xie, as well as a Q&A session with the speakers).