Peking University, July 18, 2022: In response to the COVID-19 epidemic, Peking University set up an expert group on epidemic control, which would provide instructions on health monitoring, nucleic acid testing, medical treatment procedures in school hospitals, and campus infection control for school personnel. Professor Li Liuyi from Peking University First Hospital was appointed as the head of this expert group, leading the team with professional skills and prior experience in epidemic control. 

Beijing is currently at a critical point in battling the COVID-19 epidemic. Since the inception of the expert team, Professor Li started on her tight schedule without a hitch, doing her research on campus to understand the situation on the ground. As pre-screening and triage work is instrumental in preventing the spread, all those who have the symptoms of infection will be sent directly to PKU Third Hospital instead of the hospital on the PKU Health Centre campus to prevent cross-infection. Her team also devised new regulations to make hospital transferring more convenient for the students. For medics who have to work long hours in a restricted, enclosed space on a separate campus, the team sought to improve their working conditions for them. The team also undertook the consultation tasks, answering the queries from people from all school units who encountered problems during the implementation of strict epidemic prevention measures.

Professor Li mentioned in the interview that, although they are dealing with situations that they have never encountered before, she has faith in overcoming the odds with past experiences they amassed from previous epidemic prevention incidences. The team is determined on devising a feasible and scientific plan to curb the spread of the virus in school successfully.

Additionally, the guidance group closely supervised students’ health, aiming to achieve precise management. Professor Li adheres to the principle of ‘leaving no problems overnight’ as controlling the epidemic is a race against time. The team would have daily meetings to summarize the tasks completed that day, relay any new policy changes and allocate tasks for the next day. To further improve the efficiency, they plan to open an online consultation platform to respond to the needs of the school population more promptly.  

In the next stage, it is necessary to find the pattern of the common issues encountered during epidemic control, such as infection prevention and routine management at health monitoring stations. By identifying the pattern, epidemic prevention measures can be normalized and effectively executed on the school campus. Recently, Professor Li delivered a lecture for Peking University’s students and faculty on the symptoms of Omicron virus infection and its infectious characteristics, and shared the challenges faced during the prevention of the epidemic on the school campus.