Chen Wei, "People's Hero": Acting at the Behest of orders and not fulfilling the mission

Chen Wei (front two from left) explains vaccine knowledge to volunteers. Photo by Zhang Zhenwei (Xinhua News Agency)

On September 8 last year, the National Commendation Conference for Fighting THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS Pneumonia Epidemic was solemnly held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, and Chen Wei, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a researcher at the Academy of Military Medicine of the Academy of Military Sciences, was awarded the National Honorary Title Medal of "People's Hero".

In the fight against the new crown pneumonia epidemic, Chen Wei led the team to make a significant contribution: after the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, he immediately moved at the behest of the order, led the team to Wuhan at the first time, and achieved major results in basic research, vaccines, protective drug research and development...

"There are known means, but unknown capabilities." These were the words that Chen Wei often hung on her lips. From the fight against the SARS epidemic to the Wenchuan earthquake relief, from the fight against the Ebola epidemic to the fight against the new crown pneumonia epidemic, in the face of urgent, difficult and dangerous tasks, this hero from Jiangnan Water Town has always stepped forward and handed over an excellent answer sheet with actions.

"Rush up at critical moments, open up at critical moments"

In August last year, Chen Wei was on a mission. When she learned that she had been awarded the "People's Hero" National Honorary Title Medal, she said: "This honor belongs to all comrades in the national army's epidemic prevention and control scientific research front! ”

On January 26 last year, the fourth day of Wuhan's closure of the passage from Han, Chen Wei led a military medical expert group to rush to Wuhan to quickly carry out emergency scientific research around topics such as pathogen transmission variation, rapid detection technology, and vaccine antibody development, and established a joint prevention, joint control, joint treatment, and joint research work mechanism with relevant military and local units.

"The epidemic is military intelligence, and the scene is the battlefield." In the 113 days of fighting the epidemic in Wuhan, Chen Wei led the team to use one key result after another to add a decisive weight to the final victory -

Under the command of Chen Wei, in just 24 hours, a negative pressure tent-type mobile laboratory was quickly set up next to the pharmacy building of the Central Theater General Hospital. In this laboratory, the nucleic acid testing time is greatly shortened, and the nucleic acid testing capacity of 1,000 people per day is rapidly formed;

In order to accelerate the effective integration of scientific research and clinical practice, Chen Wei led researchers to carry out research in the fields of pathogenology, immunology, aerodynamics, etc., quickly established a virus identification chain, accurately diagnosed the type of infection of clinical patients, and took the lead in promoting and applying it in 3 hospitals such as Huoshenshan Hospital, effectively improving the accuracy of clinical diagnosis...

There are no heroes who fall from the sky, only mortals who stand up. Seeing the TV news, Chen Wei's father knew that his daughter had rushed to the front line again. On February 3 last year, Chen Wei squeezed out time to make her first phone call home since the Spring Festival. Finally waiting for the phone, Chen Wei's parents smiled.

"We must keep our mission firmly in mind, be able to rush forward at critical moments, and be open-minded at critical junctures; this is the true communist party member." At the ceremony of joining the party in the line of fire of the military medical expert group, Chen Wei instructed the new scientific researchers, which is also her understanding of her duties and mission.

"I'll try it first, and if it's okay you'll play again"

In March 2020, Chen Wei ushered in her birthday in the most critical stage of epidemic prevention and control and vaccine research and development in Wuhan. Receiving the blessing of her comrades-in-arms, she returned a message in her busy life, with only 8 words: "There is no choice but victory!" ”

Vaccines are the most powerful weapon in the fight against the epidemic. Among them, the "recombinant new crown vaccine (adenovirus vector)" developed by Chen Wei's team is the first vaccine approved to officially enter clinical trials, which has played an important role in the stability of morale throughout the country.

Time back to Wuhan 19 months ago. Although the adenovirus vector is a mature technology platform, although the vaccine has passed animal tests, under the conditions at that time, the newly developed new crown vaccine is still full of unknowns.

"I'll try it first, and if it's okay you'll play again." Chen Wei's face was as usual and her tone was as usual.

An ambulance was parked downstairs, quietly waiting; a bright red party flag hung quietly on the wall of the injection chamber. Time passes minute by minute. After half an hour of vaccination, Chen Wei did not have adverse reactions, and other members of the team also began to be vaccinated. History will remember this moment of charge and victory for chinese soldiers.

On March 16, 2020, the new crown vaccine developed by the scientific research team led by Chen Wei was approved to enter clinical trials; on April 12, the vaccine carried out Phase II clinical trials; on August 11, the vaccine obtained the national invention patent, becoming the first new coronavirus vaccine in China to enter the clinical patent; on February 25, 2021, the vaccine was approved by the State Food and Drug Administration for conditional listing...

"Patents are ours and originals are ours, so we don't have to look at anyone's face on any occasion!" In just over 3 months in Wuhan, Chen Wei has added a lot of white hair, but her expression and words are still firm.

"My team and I will continue to work hard and live up to our mission"

Over the years, Chen Wei's scientific research achievements have always been associated with repeated and difficult tasks. This time to Wuhan, Chen Wei is not the first time to "short contact" with the virus.

In 1991, Chen Wei, who had just obtained a master's degree in engineering from Tsinghua University, joined the army. For 30 years, in the fight against the virus, she has won one military merit medal after another -

During the fight against SARS in 2003, Chen Wei and the research group entered the biosafety laboratory overnight, often working in the laboratory for more than ten or even dozens of hours. A few months later, the "recombinant human interferon omega" developed by the team has a good protective effect on the attack of the SARS virus.

In 2014, a large-scale Ebola outbreak broke out in West Africa and spread rapidly. At that time, there were no cases of Ebola in China, and Chen Wei also stepped forward and led a team to Africa. In December of the same year, Chen Wei led the team to develop the world's first 2014 genotype Ebola vaccine.

Since joining the army, Chen Wei's research objects are some epidemics that ordinary people avoid. It is precisely because of her long-term experience in "dealing" with the virus that she and her research team were able to develop a vaccine and put it into clinical trials as soon as possible during the COVID-19 epidemic.

"As a military medical researcher, I especially hope that our scientific research 'battleship' can ride the wind and waves and travel steadily and far." Chen Wei said: "My team and I will continue to work hard and live up to our mission. ”

This edition is drafted by Zhang Fangman

Author: Li Longyi

Source: People's Daily