Wuhan cardiologist whose face turned dark during COVID-19 treatment shows gratitude to medical workers

　　Yi Fan was one of more than 3,000 medical workers infected with the novel coronavirus in Hubei province during the COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year.

　　A picture circulated online in April showing his face after it turned dark due to drugs used in his treatment drew widespread public attention.

　　A cardiologist at Wuhan Central Hospital, 42-year-old Yi was infected while treating patients and taken to the hospital on Jan 28. His condition quickly deteriorated, and he experienced difficulty breathing. Yi was twice placed on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine, which performs the functions of the heart and lungs for patients with organ failure.

　　On March 3, he was transferred in critical condition to the Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, where a team of medical workers from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing cared for him. Wang Chen, the president of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, modified Yi's treatment plan.

　　The measures worked. Yi recovered and was able to return home on May 6.

　　On Dec 6, Yi visited the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing to express his gratitude in person to the medical workers involved in his treatment. His face has regained its usual color, and the side effects of the drugs used in his treatment are almost gone.

　　Yi said he looks forward to going back to work. "I can't waste this rebirth," he said. "I can treat more patients."

　　在新冠肺炎疫情阻击战初期，湖北省超过3000余名医务工作者感染了新冠肺炎。42岁的易凡就是其中的一位，曾经感染新冠肺炎而皮肤变黑的武汉医生。

　　武汉“封城”前一天，武汉各大医院的日常医疗服务正常进行。易凡作为武汉市中心医院心脏大血管外科医生，他在一台手术中突然出现体力不支，后被发现可能感染了新冠病毒。1月28日确诊后，他的病情迅速恶化，出现严重的呼吸窘迫。随后，医院对他进行插管抢救，上了呼吸机，曾两次使用ECMO（体外膜肺氧合，俗称“人工肺”）。

　　3月3日，易凡因病情持续感染严重，被转入武汉同济医院中法新城院区重症隔离病房，由中日友好医院国家援鄂抗疫医疗队接手进行紧急抢救治疗。团队在高风险暴露感染情况下，为易凡做了气管切开术。经评估，医疗队确定其问题是血源性感染。在中国医学科学院院长王辰院士以及团队的精心救治下，后续治疗方案初见成效。与新冠病毒抗争99天后，易凡于5月6日康复出院回家。

　　12月6日，易凡夫妇抵达北京中日友好医院，向国家援鄂抗疫医疗队当面致谢。现在，易凡的皮肤和正常人一样，身上积累的药物副作用也已消退。易凡期待早日重回医生岗位。他说：“我这条命不能白捡回来，我要去救治更多的人。”

　　图一：Yi Fan stands in front of the Huanghe (Yellow Crane) Tower in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Oct 17.

　　10月17日，新冠肺炎康复者易凡在湖北武汉黄鹤楼前留影。