English edition of Chinese doctor's diary published

Less than four months after the Chinese-language book Dr. Zha's Diary on Fighting the COVID-19 was published, the English version of the journal made its global debut on Tuesday.

The launch ceremony of the book, which was jointly hosted by the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Press and Publication and Shanghai Jiao Tong University and organized by Renji Hospital Affiliated with the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press, was held on Tuesday at the university campus during the ongoing Shanghai Book Fair.

The book compiled by Renji Hospital contains 68 days' worth of diary entries by Dr. Zha Qiongfang, who works at the respiratory medicine department at the hospital and was a member of the first contingent of Shanghai medical workers that was dispatched to aid Wuhan during the outbreak in late January.

The journal, the country's first publication that details a frontline medical worker's experience in fighting the epidemic, will help readers around the world better understand China's experience in bringing the epidemic under control, the university said.

The Chinese version book has already been reprinted multiple times since it was unveiled on April 20, according to Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press.

Li Fang, chairwoman of the press, said several internationally renowned publishing houses have approached her company to discuss producing foreign-language versions of the book. The press has already granted copyrights to nine foreign language editions, including English, to overseas publishers.

Naturalogic Publishing Inc, a Canada-based publisher that specializes in medicine and science books, was selected to produce the English version.

Zha said her initial intention of writing the diary was to record her thoughts and feelings for herself to remember this special period in history.

"I've resumed a busy work schedule of seeing patients, undertaking medical consultations and teaching since I returned to Shanghai four months ago," she said.