To help Chinese students studying in the UK better cope with the outbreak of COVID-19, on April 20th, the “Online Assistance Platform for Students Studying in the UK” jointly created by West China Hospital and the Embassy of the PRC in the UK was officially launched in London, the main venue, and West China Hospital, a branch venue. Xiaoming Liu, the Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom; Lin Zhang, the vice president of Sichuan University; Weimin Li, the president of West China Hospital; and Zong’an Liang, the director of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of West China Hospital, among other experts and representatives of students and parents studying in the UK, participated in the launch ceremony.

Xiaoming Liu, on behalf of the Embassy of the PRC in the UK, the three consulates in Manchester, Edinburgh and Belfast, and more than 200,000 students studying in the UK, expressed immense respect and heartfelt gratitude toward the medical staff of West China Hospital for their contributions to the epidemic prevention and control. He said that the Chinese government, the CPC and the Chinese people are always concerned about the safety and health of Chinese students studying in the UK. The embassy will diligently implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi to protect Chinese students in the UK with a “protective umbrella and wall.” In his speech, Xiaoming Liu spoke of three expectations that he has for students studying in the UK. The first expectation is that such students cherish this rare opportunity, make good use of the platform, effectively strengthen epidemic prevention and control, as well as their ability to respond psychologically, and ensure their physical and mental health. The second is that student unions throughout the UK and in other places lead students to help each other in these hard times. And the third is that students will make good use of their time by studying online at home, devote to studies and make positivity the characteristics of overseas students in the UK, and meet future challenges with a new attitude.

Weimin Li introduced West China Hospital and shared the hospital’s experiences in emergency response during the 2003 SARS crisis, the Wenchuan Earthquake, the Lushan Earthquake, H1N1, H7N9 and COVID-19. He encouraged students studying in the UK to gain a proper understanding of the coronavirus, actively protect themselves and adjust their attitudes during this global public health emergency. He hopes that students can successfully complete their studies and fulfill their glorious mission to contribute to the motherland.

Xiaoming Liu announced the official launch of the “Sichuan University West China Hospital — Online Assistance Platform for Students Studying in the UK.”

After the launch ceremony, Zong’an Liang gave the first lecture, “2019 Coronavirus — Prevention and Control Measures for Students in the UK.” The lecture was based on the current status of the epidemic in the UK, and it covered six aspects, including the characteristics of the coronavirus, clinical features and prevention methods. It is reported that the “Online Assistance Platform for Students Studying in the UK” created by the Embassy of the PRC in the UK and West China Hospital aims to provide guidance for students in the UK by organizing a series of online lectures, carrying out online medical and psychological counseling services, and releasing information on medical protection and mental health, among other activities. In the following three weeks, the platform will launch a series of lectures by experts from West China Hospital on Mondays and Thursdays.

The lecturers will include the following:

· Professor Lan Zhang, head of the Clinical Psychology Department of the Mental Health Center of West China Hospital and one of the first batch of registered psychologists and supervisors of the Chinese Psychological Society

· Professor Hong Tang, director of the Center for Infectious Diseases and deputy head of the Sichuan COVID-19 Clinical Treatment Expert Group

· Professor Wei Zhang, secretary of the Party Committee of West China School of Medicine, SCU and West China Hospital, an expert in cognitive science and clinical psychology of West China Hospital, chairman of the Sichuan Association of Psychological Consultants, and chief scientist of SCU’s “Medical Big Data Center”

· Professor Fengming Luo, deputy director of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of West China Hospital, the leader of the expert group for the first batch of medical teams sent to assist Hubei

· Professor Weimin Li, president of West China School of Medicine and West China Hospital, expert in the National COVID-19 Medical Treatment Senior Expert Group and group leader of the Sichuan COVID-19 Medical Treatment Expert Group

The topics will include the psychological response to the COVID-19 epidemic, scientifically understanding the new coronavirus, self-resilience in major emergencies, recovery from COVID-19 and comparisons of prevention and control measures taken by China and other countries. Online medical and psychological counseling services will be available on Mondays and Thursdays at 17:30 Beijing time (10:30 London time) after a series of lectures. Medical protection and mental health handbooks will be issued to students studying in the UK.