Draft: 25 Feb 2020, Version 1: 8 Mar 2020, Version 2: 24 Mar, Version 3: 26 Mar, Version 4: 28 Mar (current)

Interim Summary of COVID-19

Xiu-Ju George Zhao Ph.D.^1,2

1Team of Neonatal &Infant Development, Health and Nutrition NDHN, School of Biology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic  University

Biological and Chemical Building Room 512, 1 South Park Road, Changqing Garden, Wuhan, Hubei 430023, P. R. China

2 School of Health Sciences, Wuhan University 430071

Tel. and Fax: +862783956793

E-mail: dzrdez@163.com

Word Count: 563

Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) [1-5], the number of total confirmed cases worldwide was 214 002 (China81 237, Hubei 67 707, Wuhan 49 912), and of those, 8 837 died (China3 250, Hubei 3 130, Wuhan 2 496), as of 18 March 2020 [Table 1, Figure 1]. The number of daily new confirmed cases from 12 February to now outside Hubei was less than the number of new recovered, the number of new confirmed from 15 February to now outside Wuhan was less than the number of new recovered, and the number of new confirmed from 20 February to now in Wuhan was less than the number of new recovered [new confirmed in Wuhan on 18 March: 0]. 19 SARS-CoV-2 test products were approved, and more than 200 clinical trials were being carried out. Favipiravir was approved, and chloroquine phosphate and arbidol were recommended in the sixth and seventh version ofChina's COVID-19 treatment protocol. The scale of Wuhan's hospital beds peaked seventy thousand. However, 3 019 medical staff were infected (1 716 confirmed, 5 deaths). In late January and the first half of February, there was a shortage of medical materials, and the participation rate of Chinese medicine was below 40% in Wuhan, Hubei. The public health system focused on prevention rather than emergency response. The coordination of scientific research, clinical trails and disease prevention and control was not enough. The basic research on infectious pathogens was weak and unsustainable. It needs systematic and multidisciplinary integration to form a public health system from top to the bottom vertically (wildlife [agriculture and forestry] - pathogenic organisms [medical biology] - infectious diseases and treatment [clinical medicine and pharmacy]), and from edge to edge horizontally [statistics - economics - medicine - social management].

The public health system focusing on prevention & control and emergency response of infectious diseases is the core content of World Health Organization and Health China Action, and also of the health security system. Improving the supply quality and scientific research in public health may promote the efficient and sustainable development of economy (30% of the investment in road is converted into Gross Domestic Product; 60% of the investment in health care is converted into GDP; the increase of medical facilities and personnel has a leverage effect). An independent public health system built by a central or federal government is a strong guarantee for a nation in the face of particularly major public health emergencies. Infectious diseases are the common disasters of mankind. In the short term, the international community should combine western and traditional medicines targeting efficacy and real world, combat against unproved statements (e.g. American soldiers with malaria attending Wuhan Military World Game in October 2019, carried SARS-CoV-2  in the incubation period) and refer to China owing to its leading role in the experience of fighting COVID-19 (Table 2, Figure 2). In the long run, the world should UNITE as the Community of Shared Future for Mankind, CONSERVE the ecological balance and biodiversity, TUNE the preparedness and control of infectious diseases and socioeconomic developments, STRENGTHEN the capacity of public health colleges and research institutions, INTEGRATE economics, statistics, artificial intelligence, biology, agriculture, medicine and management, and LINK research institutions, hospitals and centers for disease prevention and control. "We are waves of the same sea, leaves of the same tree, flower of the same garden." (Seneca)

Competing interest statement: No.

It was not appropriate or possible to involve patients or the public in the design, or conduct, or reporting, or dissemination plans of our research.

Dissemination to study participants and or patient organisations is not applicable.

References

1. National Health Commission. http://www.nhc.gov.cn/xcs/yqtb/202003/0fc43d6804b04a4595a2eadd846c0a6e.shtml. 19 March, 2020

2. World Health Organization.  https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019. 19 March, 2020

3. Xintian Xu, et al. Evolution of the novel coronvirus from ongoing Wuhan outbreak and modeling of its spike protein for risk of human transmission. Sci Chin Life Sci. 2020, 63: 457-460. DOI: 10.1007/s11427-020-1637-5

4. Chaolin Huang, et al. Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronvirus in WuhanChina. Lancet 2020,395(10223):497-506. DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(20)30183-5.

Na Zhu, et al. A novel coronvirus from patients with pneumonia inChina, 2019. N Engl J Med. 2020,382(8):727-733. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2001017

Table 1. COVID-19 global pandemic report.

Data as of 18 March, 2020; UTC+8. Source: Ali Health.

Table 2. Timeline of COVID-19

UTC+8.

 Figure 1. Omitted.

Figure 2. Characteristics ofChina's treating COVID-19