I first met Liang Zong’an in a live broadcast of his interview with CCTV when he served as the leader of China's first batch of medical expert team to assist Italy in combat against epidemic. At this moment, Liang Zong’an, who is interviewed Heart of Doctors, looks more easy-going and kind with mastery air.

"At present, Italy's anti-epidemic is similar to what we expected back then. After two to four weeks, about two 14 days (the general latent cycle of COVID-19), as long as the isolation measures are implemented and the situation is properly controlled, the situation will be eased. Now, Italy is walking in a positive direction, but the fatality rate is still high, and the aging population is the most important factor." Although Liang Zong’an has returned to his daily work and life back in China, he remains updated about COVID-19 in Italy.

Fight against Epidemic with Italian People

As a well-known national respiratory disease expert and executive deputy leader of the Sichuan COVID-19 Medical Treatment Expert Team, since the epidemic outbreak, Liang Zong’an has been fighting on the front line and worked intensively for nearly two months. In the early morning of March 10th, he was informed to go to Italy for medical support.

"I am a respiratory doctor. This epidemic is called New Coronavirus Pneumonia, so there is no doubt I should take up this task. Whether I’m in the frontline of anti-epidemic or daily work, it is my duty to help patients and protect myself as well. So it does not make much difference actually." Liang Zong’an remembers he also said something like this before he set off, which greatly relieved his wife and son from their worries.

On March 12th, the expert team arrived in Rome.

"On the 13th, the third day after Italy’s announcement of isolation measures, there were few people and vehicles in Rome. The Italian people began to seriously implement the government’s isolation measures. Indeed, the epidemic was serious in Italy back then with a mortality rate of almost 9%. The expert team had thought that it was caused by a serious shortage of medical resources, but after actually visiting cities such as Rome, Milan and Padova, especially the Lombardy region where the epidemic situation was particularly severe, they found that the medical resources were distributed and managed in an orderly, professional and regulated manner in those places. Italy is one of the important birthplaces of modern medicine, where it shows high professionalism in medical methods, medical ethics, classification management, etc. There was even a 101-year-old who was cured and discharged."

The first team of aid experts also took 31 tons of anti-epidemic medical materials donated by the Chinese Red Cross, the most important of which was the 30 sets of bed ICU equipment, which effectively strengthened the supply capacity of medical resources in Italy.

The Chinese expert team where Liang Zong’an served introduced methods and experience of China regarding "early detection, early report, early diagnosis, and early isolation" and "concentration of patients, experts, resources, treatment" to Italy. Through site visits, we also saw that Italy’s medical system is very sound. China’s experience may not be suitable for Italy. But through discussions on issues like “control the infection source”, “break the infection chain”, “graded management of disease”, “concentrated treatment of severe and critical care”, “breathing therapy support”, etc., both sides reached a high consensus.

"Their ‘family doctor system’ has played a very active role in the treatment of mild patients isolated at home, where they can provide professional and effective medical services, which  improves the efficiency of the use of public medical resources. We can also learn from Italy, make adjustment to fit China, and promote the construction of the family doctor system in China." Liang Zong’an says.

The Chinese expert team to Italy also gave medical lectures for 300,000 overseas Chinese in Italy regarding prevention of COVID-19, personal mental adjustment, nutritional support and other issues of major concerns of Chinese in Italy, and that greatly comforted them. Meanwhile, both China and Italy expressed their willingness to further in-depth exchanges and cooperation, and they showed great sincerity and confidence regarding the current urgent joint anti-epidemic, vaccine research, and long-term medical multi-disciplinary cooperation.

During its support to Italy, the Chinese expert team often saw many Italians holding their thumbs up or applauding. An Italian girl even made a cartoon where the medical staff of China and Italy hold up a map of Italy together. This is a great comfort to the Chinese expert team. "With the conscientious, realistic and scientific spirit of Italian medical workers, the tradition of friendship and mutual assistance between the Chinese and Italian people, and their joint effort, the epidemic will be controlled. Back then I firmly believed that such a day will come soon!"

A Silent Trail-Blazer with Outstanding Educational Achievements

"It is my duty to save and teach people." This is the self-assessment of Liang Zong’an in an interview during the SARS in 2003, when he served as the leader of the Sichuan expert team.

"In the past 17 years, I have accumulated more knowledge and experience, and had my horizon and thoughts widened. I now understand ‘saving people’ more in an inclination to help patients accomplish ‘self-saving’. I cooperate with patients to overcome illness. I also have a high standard for my students, and once in a while I will recommend them for new and better jobs. After all, I hope they will have more opportunities to exercise their professional skills." Liang Zong’an gives a touching smile with his deep concern to his students.

During the fight against COVID-19, the "respiratory therapist" team drew the public attention for the first time, but few people knew that Liang Zong’an is the founder of the domestic respiratory therapy. Half of respiratory therapists in assisting Whuan were his students.

Respiratory therapist (RT) originated from the United States. It refers to a medical professional who provides clinical operation based on various types of respiratory support therapy and airway management for patients with respiratory insufficiency. West China Hospital of Sichuan University started a respiratory therapy program in 1997 under the effort of Yang Guanghua, an American medical educator and former president of West China Medical University, and with the strong support of the China Medical Foundation. As the dean, Liang Zong’an contributed himself to promoting the cultivation of domestic respiratory therapists.

According to Liang Zong’an, a respiratory therapist is an "excellent warrior" of both excellent skills and abundant knowledge, who not only needs to develop a ventilation plan according to different patients’ specific conditions and provide the best breathing support, but also he should be proficient in the adaptation and debugging of various models and modes of ventilators. They should also be able to make judgment on the machine failure and conduct repair in a very short time. Many of the provincial medical teams in assisting of Wuhan this time included respiratory therapists. Almost every batch of Sichuan medical team included the respiratory therapist. The most famous one is Liu Kai, who became an online celebrity by his accompanying an elderly patient to watch sunset in Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University. Liu Kai was a student of Liang Zong’an. We can see he is very proud and pleased with his students.  

According to the latest statistics, there are currently about 500 professional respiratory therapists in China, about half of which are from West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University. More than 160 respiratory therapists went to Wuhan for assistance, and facing more than 70,000 diagnosed patients, and there was obviously a short of manpower. Therefore, in addition to their regular work, many professional respiratory therapists carried out trainings related to respiratory therapy, standardized clinical operations, helped more doctors and nurses join the respiratory therapy, and made tremendous contributions to the staged success of epidemic prevention and control.

"In the face of sudden large-scale public health incidents, such as COVID-19, there is a large gap of professional respiratory therapists in our country." Liang Zong’an says with a slight frown. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 has aroused the attention of some government departments for the needs of respiratory therapists. At present, several universities are working with West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University for professional respiratory therapy education, and the team construction will gradually take shape. At the same time, a group of professional respiratory therapists regularly conduct professional short or further training for doctors and nurses. "Respiratory therapists are very important not only in dealing with the special situation such as COVID-19 epidemic. In normalized clinical practice, as well as in critical care, respiratory medicine, ICU construction etc., respiratory therapists are needed, and their involvement is extremely critical." Liang Zong’an says with pride: "I am very fortunate to be the founder of the respiratory therapy disciplinary, and I did not expect that the respiratory therapists from our school were able to make such great contributions to our motherland. I'm honored to be a teacher of respiratory therapy."

Joint Efforts for Common Prosperity and Safety

"With the deepening of world economic integration, and cultural exchanges, interactions, and integration among countries, a shared future for humanity is becoming more prominent, especially in the face of global issues such as COVID-19. Human being share future together. While developed countries are likely able to control epidemics on their own, the world will not be safe if there is no effective control in underdeveloped regions and countries such as Africa and India."

Liang Zong’an says that he will soon carry out online cooperation and exchanges with Italian medical peers on "how to improve the treatment and management of cancer patients during COVID-19 epidemic", and he will initiate cooperation with Italy in more medical fields, especially respiratory and critical care, with a goal to promote the common progress of both sides. Of course, all countries in the world must also strengthen cooperation in order to control and finally defeat the virus to ensure the well-being of the people of all countries.

"Judging from the present situation, COVID-9 may cause more serious impact and harm than AIDS. As a respiratory infectious disease, it is more difficult to get under control, and it requires higher coordinated prevention and control, which takes joint efforts of all human being. It reflects the common human future. It is necessary to strengthen the whole society’s understanding and awareness of respiratory diseases, especially respiratory infectious diseases, and enhance their responsibility for prevention and control. I am a respiratory physician, and in a professional terminology, human beings breathe together and share the same fate."

Finishing his interview with Heart of Doctors, Liang Zong’an hurries to the next goal, leaving only a back of firm confidence...