Editor’s Note:

Since late April, the battle against COVID-19 in Shanghai has entered the final critical stage, and more human and material resources are urgently needed. In order to help Shanghai achieve the goal faster, Luye Life Sciences Group issued an initiative for all employees in Shanghai on April 28, calling on colleagues to voluntarily apply for participation, and selected eligible employees from the applicants to form a support team for fighting the epidemic on the same evening. During the 10-day-long battle from April 29 to May 8, the 9 colleagues of the support team overcame many difficulties and obstacles with high fighting spirit and completed more than 250,000 COVID-19 tests together with other medical teams, making an important and positive contribution to the fight against the epidemic in Shanghai. We are fortunate to have the 9 returning team members interviewed to tell us the story of this difficult yet warm and touching story against the epidemic.
 

Group photo of Luye Life Sciences Group’s medical volunteer team
First row from left to right.
Wang Lixiang, Guo Dan, Shi Baojun, Fang Degui, Wang Xuemei
Second row from left to right.
Zhao Xiaocui, Liu Bichan, Chen Heng, Chen Pengkang

 

Q：Welcome the 9 colleagues of the Life Sciences Group medical volunteer team back from their triumphant return, you have worked very hard, thank you very much for sharing your experiences with us. To start with, could you please give us a brief interdiction of yourself?

Peng : My name is Chen Pengkang and I am from the Medical Affairs Department of Luye Pharma. I am a CRA and am responsible for post-marketing clinical trial studies on a daily basis. I joined the company on June 28, 2021.
Guo: I'm Dan Guo, I work in the R&D department of Luye Diagnostics as an R&D engineer, and I joined the company on October 9, 2020.

Liu: I am Liu Bichan, I joined Luye Pharma in 2018 and am currently in charge of the work related to the company's new product launch in the Operations Management Department.

Heng: Hello, my name is Chen Heng, I joined Luye Pharma as an intern at the end of March last year, and I assist the department's medical manager in promoting post-marketing clinical trials and the operation and management of the department's WeChat account on a daily basis.

Shi: Hello, I am Shi Baojun, the leader of this volunteer team. I am in the Oncology Division of Luye Pharma, and I am the Regional Manager of Shanghai, I joined the company in March 2003.

Fang: My name is Fang Degui, I am the Investment Manager of the Diabetes Division of the Pharma Group.

Wang: My name is Wang Lixiang, I am from the Medical Affairs Department of the pharmaceutical company, and I am a CRA.

Wang: Hello, my name is Wang Xuemei, I am the R&D engineer of Luye Diagnostics, I joined the company on July 12, 2021. 

Zhao: Hello, I am Zhao Xiaocui from Operation and Management Department of Luye Pharma, I joined the company on November 9, 2020, and I am responsible for the external communication of BD products.

Q: Thank you for your introduction, it's a pleasure to meet you all. We all know that the epidemic in Shanghai is very serious this time and the whole city is in lockdown for almost two months. Can you please introduce the background of this volunteer team and the situation of the area you are supporting?

Shi: Since March, the number of positive cases in Shanghai is climbing. As of April 29, the number of confirmed cases in Shanghai is 560,000, of which 210,000 are in Pudong , equivalent to 40% of the entire number of confirmed cases in Shanghai. Our mission was to support the town of Beicai in Pudong, which is the eye of the storm in Shanghai. Beicai town has a large agricultural market and a large number of migrant workers living in urban villages, which makes the area very mobile and makes it difficult to control the epidemic and the outbreak is rapid, causing a lot of pressure on local managers.
 

Group photo of all members of the Luye volunteer team in front of the neighborhood committee of Xia’nan Neighborhood in Beicai Town

Q: It is said that everything is difficult at the beginning, you should have encountered many problems during your first day in Pudong, as the team leader, how did you lead the team to face and solve these difficulties?

Shi: We were scheduled to leave on May 1, but were notified that night on the 28th that we should be ready to leave at any time since they are short on hand and arrived in Pudong at 8:00 the next morning. The first tricky problem was that the neighborhood community staff were all off, and everyone was closed at home, so they couldn't go out without a pass card from the residents. That night, we arranged the vehicles and routes in a WeChat group based on the addresses of all the colleagues in order to be as efficient as possible. Early the next morning, we received a reply from our respective neighborhood committee, which said that we could not leave during the quarantine period, and if we went out, we could only go home after the lockdown in Pudong is over. I continued to negotiate with them while arranging for other colleagues to prepare to leave, but unfortunately the staff have "lying flat" no longer reply to my messages. At that time, we had no choice but to leave first, as for how to go home, let's wait for a week.

 
Group photo with experts at Pudong base 

 

Q: When you arrived in Pudong and officially started your volunteer work, how did you assign responsibilities internally? 

Fang: After arriving at the base in Pudong, the team leader divided the tasks of each team member, I was responsible for external communication, mainly to communicate daily tasks with the base, assign the team members, arrange transportation and meals for the day, and communicate daily tasks with team members.

Liu: I am in charge of logistics, including the communicating, organizing, storing of supplies. I give the list of all kinds of supplies needed to the Administration Department, and they assist in completing the procurement.

Peng: Chen Heng and I are responsible for carrying the supplies, but actually every time the supplies arrive, other colleagues also helped us a lot.

Heng: Yes, every time everyone competes to help, and when we get the supplies, we distribute the next day's supplies to everyone in advance, so that we can be more efficient.

Wang: My daily work involves a lot of forms and data, so I took on the statistics work, including attendance information, materials, each member's protective suit size, etc.. We have a very good team atmosphere, everyone is helping each other, although everyone's work seems insignificant, but this is how we build up the team bit by bit.

  
Summarize supply form based on daily needs

Q: It was your first time to participate in COVID-19 testing work, how did you get familiar with it step by step?

Guo: Initially, most of the team members started with support work, i.e. scanning testing QR codes, and I was assigned to work with the doctor on the first day to close the tube (closing the tube with the sampling swab). After work, I suggested that everyone should be familiar with each part of the entire sampling process. In the subsequent training, we all studied the whole process of nucleic acid sampling carefully, and on May 3 all the team members successfully passed the exam to get the "Nucleic Acid Testing Sampling Training and Assessment Certificate" issued by Pudong Medical Association. In the subsequent work, we also volunteered to take over the task of nucleic acid sampling due to the lack of doctors in some communities. Our work was praised by the residents and volunteers in the neighborhood, who praised us for our standard and skillful sampling work and hope us to go to their neighborhood again the next day.
  

All members received training certificate

  
Luye colleagues take over sampling work

Q: May 8 is Mother's Day and the last day for everyone to support in Pudong, it is a special and meaningful day, can you share with us some of the stories that happened on this day?

Wang: Although we were taught by our mothers not to lie and to be good and honest kids, we all let our mothers "down" this time, and we used white lies to cover up for our volunteer actions. Peng Kang sits near the curtain when he was video chatting with his family, try not to let the family find the background of the video is a hotel; Guo Dan told her parents that the company resumed work, company has arranged hotel and sufficient food, so that parents do not have to worry. I, on the other hand, was the first to be exposed, probably because the big data tracked me entered into a medium-high risk area, and the police from my hometown called my parents. In order to keep my parents from worrying, I told them that this was the company's arrangement to live in a return-to-work hotel, and it was good that they believed me. after finishing my work in Pudong on May 8, my only thought was that I could finally confess to my parents, who were surprised but also proud of me, and I think our colleagues’ parents all feel the same way.

Shi: I spent the day with a lot anxiety and nervousness. I woke up early that day because I was waiting for a decisive call. I pulled the curtains open and a ray of sunlight came through, thinking that everything should go well today. Our first vehicle leaving Pudong was supposed to arrive at 6:00 but was delayed for some reason. So I urged the second group to leave early and explore the road for us. I was relieved when our team left the Pudong base in turn and the vehicles passed the Xu Pu Bridge, and told my fellow team members about what happened in the previous night.

On the evening of the 7th I received a call from the MMA informing us that we had to remain in quanrantine in our Pudong hotel for five days under the 5+5 quarantine policy before we could return. My heart thumped and I immediately contacted the group leaders and got in touch with the Pudong Health Care Committee. I understood very well the feelings of the team members, everyone had already packed their luggage for the return on the 8th, I did not want to disappoint everyone, and I did not want to tell them, otherwise they would have had a sleepless night like me.

Q: In this 10-day battle, we are both colleagues and comrades, and we worked together and showed our strengths to successfully complete this arduous task. Maybe we didn't know each other before, but now I think we all have a deep understanding of each other, can you please name a colleague's shining point  in turn?
 

Peng: I feel that every teammate is shining, and they all have a lot for me to learn from. I see the care and responsibility for my colleagues in Guo Dan. We are each other's comrades and we think of each other in life and work.

Guo: The first day I met Bichan, I was thinking: She is so tall, she must be a very cool girl. But after we get to know each other, I found out that she is a very soft and gentle girl, and she is very responsible.

Bi: Chen Heng is the youngest in the team and was born in 1997. He reminds me of my brother . Chen Heng usually doesn't talk much, but he will take the initiative to take the responsibility. Everyone in the team has a different personality, and this difference enriches the whole team and creates a very happy and warm atmosphere.

Heng: Our team leader is more like our big brother, usually take care of everyone, when we encountered some unexpected situations, our big brother is always at the front and takes pressure for us, try not to let everyone worry.

Shi: Although De Gui was born in the 1980s, but he acts like a very mature person, with comprehensive and in-depth thinking which allows him to handle all kinds of things with ease.

Fang: We met a lot of obstacles when we sent Lixiang home, because the neighborhood she was in required only out and not in, but she was very determined about participating in this volunteer mission, and I could feel her courage in it. 

Wang: Xuemei is very energetic, but also a warm-hearted person. In Pudong, an old lady  and the volunteer got into an argument in the neighborhood , Xuemei went to persuade, but the old lady knocked over her protective mask with a slap, which was very dangerous for the volunteer, but Xuemei didn't complain much and still finished the follow-up work with enthusiasm.

Wang: Xiaocui and I were first introduced to each other in Pudong base before we found out that we are colleagues, she is a cheerful, unpretentious girl, and my personality is very similar to hers. Xiaocui also encountered a similar conflict in her subsequent work, but she still bravely stepped in to stop it, which makes me feel that she is a courageous and responsible girl, which I admire very much.

Zhao: I have teamed up with Pengkang most often, and he is a very good-tempered and attentive boy. Sometimes I will be a little anxious at the work site, but Pengkang's  is very stable and calm, he will be patient and careful to deal with problems, which is what I need to learn from him.

Q: We can feel the mutual support among colleagues through your stories. What support and assistance did the Group provide to everyone in these 10 days?

Shi: All departments of the group gave us a lot of support and encouragement in terms of materials and spirit. For example, we had to work long hours on site every day, during which we could not take off our protective clothing, the Administration Department thoughtfully prepared diapers for us. Secondly, spiritual encouragement. Before we left, Chairman Liu recorded a video to cheer us up. Every day, I sent my Pudong diary to the Group's volunteer communication WeChat group, and the leaders and colleagues in the group would respond positively. Every recognition and response from them was a great encouragement to us.
 

Chairman Liu’s video for the volunteer team

Q: What is the significance of Luye Life Sciences Group volunteer team’s support to Pudong? 

Shi: We got a cordial reception from Shan Shaojun, Deputy Party Secretary of Pudong District Committee, and Qi Yuxia, Deputy Director of the Organization Department of the District Committee in Pudong. The relevant leaders of Beicai town government and experts of the base also expressed high recognition and praise for our work. This activity fully practiced Luye's concept of passionate for life, and was another example after we were awarded the Most Influential Brand of Social Responsibility in 2021.
 

Letter of thanks from Pudong District to Luye

Q：Last but not least, could you share with us what you have gained from this volunteer work?

Q: Finally, I would like to ask you to tell us what you have gained by participating in this support work.

Peng: It was an unforgettable memory, and good memories are always priceless. I was fortunate to have met a group of wonderful people. Perhaps looking back on it many years later, it still touches my heart. Being able to contribute as much as I could to the fight against the epidemic during the epidemic is also a shining moment of my life.

Guo: I witnessed  the hardships of the front-line staff who worked together for the common goal of ending the epidemic as soon as possible, and I am grateful for their contribution. In the future, no matter what difficulties I encounter in my work or life, I will have the strength to overcome them whenever I think back to this experience.

Liu: I feel warmth. For us born in the 90s, we probably haven't suffered much since we were born. Through this experience, I not only felt the warmth in the team, but also the friendliness from the residents, which made me feel that the 90s generation really stood up.

Heng: I am honored to be able to participate in it, and maybe I will only have such an experience once in my life, and I am very happy to meet such a group of lovely guys.

Stone: This mission was full of challenges and reflected the courage and wisdom of all the team members. Everyone was passionate and practiced the goal of pursuing excellence through efficient teamwork. This mission showed me the shining points of the young people and allowed us to form a deep friendship. I feel that each team member is a pearl and I, as the leader, am the thread that strings the pearl together. One person can go fast, but only a group of people working side by side can go farther, and Luye people are always on the way.

Fang: I learned a lot from everyone, and in the process of working I learned how to motivate the team and bring out the best of everyone's sparkle. Many of the team members are the 90s generation, and I believe the future of the company will be better and better with all of you.

Wang: I am an only child and have been well protected since I was a young. Something like going to Beicai to volunteer was impossible to my family, so it was a breakthrough for me to participate in this event. I am grateful for the encouragement and support we received from the company at the back . Chairman Liu mentioned everyone's name in that cheering video, which made me feel very close. He said we had the support of the whole Group behind us, which made me feel confident and strong.

Wang: The most profound feeling of participating in this work is the mutual understanding, the understanding between the residents and volunteers, and the understanding between departments. Only after experiencing and participating in such work can we have a thorough understanding.

Zhao: I am very fortunate to be able to do what I can for local residents, and I am happy and proud to be able to help them.

Q: Thank you very much for taking the time to give this interview and shared with us all these moving stories, you have all worked hard, hats off to you!