Book on pandemic control available in Arabic

CAIRO－A Chinese book on countering the COVID-19 pandemic is available in Arabic, says Ahmad al Saeed, chairman of the Cairo-based Chinese institution Wisdom House for Cultural Industries.

The Chinese book, titled COVID-19: From Basics to Clinical Practice, compiled by Zhang Wenhong, provides a scientific understanding of the novel coronavirus and its outbreak, as well as guidance on disease prevention and control, says Al Saeed, who is also the translator of the book.

The book's translation aims to share China's experience in dealing with the virus, he says.

According to Al Saeed, the book not only shares China's clinical experience and public-health responses but also offers advice to people on how to protect themselves from the infection, with details of what home quarantine, self-isolation, wearing masks and social distancing, among others, are intended for.

It also includes anti-virus recommendations including how to wash hands, take elevators, use air conditioners and deal with pets.

Al Saeed says the recommended practices are a better and simpler way to protect people's health.

"If each person manages to protect himself, the contagious disease won't build new circles of infection," he adds, citing the book.

Zhang, lead author of the Chinese book, is the head of Shanghai's COVID-19 clinical expert team and director of the Center for Infectious Disease at the Shanghai-based Huashan Hospital of Fudan University.

The Chinese book was published by Fudan University Press in March in China, with its English, Spanish and French editions launched in early June.

Zhang and his team have made the book royalty-free for editions in many languages.

Mohan Kalsi, chairman of Royal Collins, which is the publisher of the book's Spanish and French editions, says he believes the book could help more doctors save lives.

Xinhua