Bian Xiuwu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor at the Third Military Medical University, led a pathological diagnosis and research team to complete autopsies of 39 COVID-19 victims. They have established the world’s first COVID-19 pathological sample bank, which has the most samples and the fullest pathological data. The team’s pathological research results perfect the COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment protocol.
The pathological diagnosis and research team of the Third Military Medical University shows encouragement before the first autopsy in Wuhan. (Photo by Bian Xiuwu)
“Pathology studies the causes, development, and effects of diseases.” Prof. Bian said the pathological findings from the autopsies of COVID-19 cases were significantly helpful to understand the pathological changes and essential nature, unveil occurrence mechanism and development pattern, and perfect clinical diagnosis and treatment. Besides, they would make it possible to find the pathogenesis and causes of death, setting the ground for saving critically ill patients.
The research team, built and led by Prof. Bian, cooperated with relevant units to creatively set up the country’s first biosafety autopsy cabin with the negative pressure filtering system, based on the Huoshenshan Hospital. They then were approved to carry out autopsies on COVID-19 victims. The team has yet completed systematic autopsies of 27 and minimally invasive ones of 12 COVID-19 cases—the highest number of related autopsies conducted by one team in the world.
Prof. Bian, as the head of the pathological expert group of National Health Commission, led the compiling of COVID-19 pathological changes, based on the observed results so far of visceral lesions and distribution of virus in vivo and the autopsy results obtained by the Tongji Medical College of HUST and Wuhan Union Hospital. Wholly incorporated in the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for COVID-19 (Trial Version 7), the research findings filled the gap of pathology in the Protocol.
“Through autopsies of COVID-19 victims, we began to know the full pictures of the disease’s pathological characteristics, causes, and laws of development and revealed the viral target organs/cells and possible spreading routes of the virus in vivo. These findings have been applied to clinical treatment and epidemic prevention and control, while further perfecting the diagnosis and treatment protocol,” said Prof. Bian. The team’s current research results showed the world the new disease’s pathological nature and future research directions. It will continue to decipher COVID-19, offering pathological support to epidemic prevention and control and responses to major public safety incidents.