Peking University, February 21, 2022: Outside of the limelight, medical teams are fighting for every minute and second to keep all participants safe at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Peking University Third Hospital (PKUTH) is one of them, and has provided all-around medical care for the three competition zones. Yang Zhongwei, the leader of the PKUTH Chongli branch, has felt and grown the most during this period of near-total social isolation. Below are the warm moments he recorded in a place where the spotlight does not shine.

“Dual pandemic man” Da Guo

Guo Zhiguo, popularly known as "Da Guo", has a legendary experience. When he was still a resident doctor at PKUTH in 2003,  he was one of the first to sign up for the SARS ward. Soon after, he got infected. For a week, he had a high-grade fever of 39-40 degrees. Fortunately, he got recovery under the entire hospital’s medical support. But they gave him a high dose of hormone therapy, which I guess contributed to the side effect - his big face.

If you get to know Daguo for a while, you will notice that he speaks slowly, as opposed to the ordinary furious emergency resident doctor we meet. According to Dean Zheng Ya’an, when he was on the phont with Da Guo, he had to ask Guo from time to time if he was still on the line. What he got in response from Da Guo is a slow reply of “I’m here…please go on…”.

Da Guo also has a feature in that everything must be prioritized. For example, before the Olympic village entered closed-loop management, the medical team assigned to the test match was able to return to Beijing for three days. Da Guo arrived slowly till the last second before the bus departed for the train station. When ticketing began at the train station, however, he "vanished". We were worried that he might miss the train because he has a temperament to take things slowly. We called him, only to hear him say slowly that he was already on the train. He knew that the train would not wait for a late passenger. Hence, he waited in line in advance at the ticket entrance and was the first to enter.  

When it comes to handling emergency cases, Da Guo is never blur. On the early morning of 23 January, a volunteer registered at the emergency department. This patient experienced palpitations for four hours. His heart rate was 180 bpm, according to the ECG. The patient’s irritability and anxiety was escalating. After receiving notification from the command centre, Da Guo rushed to the consultation site in five minutes. He checked the ECG for at least 5 minutes and sketched a measuring scale on the screen precisely to compare the heart beats one by one.
 

Finally, he made the diagnosis and quickly decided on the treatment. Da Guo communicated the details of the treatment with the medical staff on site while he kept a close eye on the monitor screen back in the consultation centre.

Under his instruction, something miraculous happened: the patient's heart rate dropped from 180 bpm to 80 bpm! I immediately turned to look at Da Guo. He jumped up from his chair and high-fived everyone in the room – breaking his typical demeanour and celebrating the success in rehabilitating a patient. He was happy like a child. I looked at my watch; it was 4am.

Da Guo has been working in the closed loop for two weeks, fighting together on the Winter Olympics security frontline with his colleagues. Using the news term "dual Olympic people/dual Olympians", I would like to refer to Da Guo as a "dual pandemic man".

The “Sweet” duo who closely monitor every wearing and taking off of the protective clothing

Nobody would have fathomed three years ago that volunteers for the Winter Olympics would be required to wear protective clothing. Neither would we have thought that every time we put on our protective clothing, there would be two pairs of eyes watching closely.

Known as the “sweet” duo are Zhao Xintian and Wang Shumei – the former is a post-90s Beijinger, while the latter is a lass works at PKUTH Chongli branch. Despite the fact that neither of them has ever been in the limelight, this duo is whom we trust and "fear" the most.

Before the closed loop officially began, the "sweet" duo walked the team through every hallway, elevator and consultation room in the closed trauma centre. They also designed three zones and two channels for personnel and logistics traffic transportation that adjust to local conditions.


After the closed loop operation, the duo sit in front of the big screen in the command centre every day. They scrutinise every person taking off the protective clothing. Most people find it difficult to distinguish who is who from the video surveillance screen when they wear isolation suits; yet the “sweet” duo are able to identify all of the 130 people in the closed loop through observing each individual’s habit of squeezing a few alcohol gels into which position.

In addition to watching others put on and take off protective clothing in the command centre, the two of them also connect the video surveillance signal to their own cell phones. Thus even late at night, they could still keep a careful eye on the last health worker who has just finished the disinfection.

Everyone is under their supervision not only during working hours but also in daily life. In the closed loop with more than 130 people, Wang and Zhao are aware of nearly every matter going on in the hotel – from which areas can be touched, accessed, and who collects the garbage. No matter the gravity of the issue, this duo manages the area strictly throughout.

Above all, we all know that it is because of their diligence and everyone’s cooperation that smooth operations are made possible. With that, we wholeheartedly thank this “sweet” duo!

Written by: Vissly Chan
Edited by: Ye Yimeng
Source: PKU News (Chinese)