Elsevier launches a new book on COVID-19

Elsevier, a global research publishing and information analytics provider, recently launched the English version of COVID-19: The Essentials of Prevention and Treatment. A digital version of the book is freely available to download on Elsevier's Novel Coronavirus Information Center here.

Originally published in Chinese by Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press, Elsevier secured the rights to publish this important reference book in English at a time when knowledge sharing on preventing the spread of and treating patients infected with the novel coronavirus, subsequently named SARS-CoV-2, was at its most critical.

The three Co-Editors-in-Chief, Jie-Ming QU, Bin CAO and Rong-Chang CHEN, are senior physicians, as well as clinical and scientific research experts specializing in pulmonary diseases and critical care medicine with relevant experience in Wuhan, China, where the outbreak was first identified in December 2019.

Along with other physicians working in China, the Co-Editors-in-Chief have built up deep knowledge and insights on the prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment of the disease, all of which are now globally relevant to managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19: The Essentials of Prevention and Treatment elaborates on the ethology, pathogenesis epidemiology, clinical characteristics, treatment principles, rehabilitation and prevention, as well as prevention and control measures for COVID-19 to provide healthcare workers first-hand information on the prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.

Key features of the book include:

• It is written by experts in a variety of disciplines such as respiratory medicine and infectious disease, and takes a multidisciplinary approach: including the pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical characteristics, treatment principles, rehabilitation, prevention, and control measures for COVID-19.
• The authors of the book, all highly experienced and senior physicians, were working in Wuhan and other cities during the first outbreak of the virus. They have published their results in prominent and peer-reviewed journals, including Elsevier's The Lancet. The authors are therefore well-placed to provide relevant expertise grounded in practical experience of responding to COVID-19, of use to health workers globally.

Quotes

Nanshan ZHONG, Peer Reviewer
Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering
Director of National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease
(The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University)

"We've entered a normalization phase in the prevention and control of COVID-19, and I believe the insights contained in this book on emergent diseases & especially those on acute respiratory infections that have significant socio-economic impact - are extremely informative and highly valuable in the prevention and control of future outbreaks. COVID-19: The Essentials of Prevention and Treatment is the English version of Elsevier's first Chinese-authored publication on the topic of the novel coronavirus. I sincerely hope this book can facilitate better and effective prevention and control of the disease through the sharing of knowledge and experience of Chinese healthcare workers."

Chen WANG, Peer Reviewer
President, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College
Vice President & Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering
Director, National Respiratory Clinical Research Center,
Leader, National Key Disciplines for Respiratory Medicine
Vice-Chairperson, Global Alliance Against Chronic Respiratory Diseases

"The English version of COVID-19: The Essentials of Prevention and Treatment is of considerable significance as it provides valuable insights of the experiences of China's healthcare professionals in their combat against COVID-19 in the country where the virus was first identified. As a new and previously unknown virus, the manner in which it mutates and changes means that the virus will manifest itself differently at different time periods, as well as in different geography, demographic and ethnicities. The book offers an important medical reference of the COVID-19 situation at a point in time in China and highlights the interdependency between Chinese and international publishers in facilitating knowledge exchange to address important global issues."

Jie-Ming QU, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Professor and Party Chief of Ruijin Hospital
Chair of Chinese Thoracic Society

"The essence of this book is founded upon the first-hand account and experience of health care experts working on the front lines in the areas of prevention and control when the novel coronavirus first appeared, which the authors have systematically and meticulously curated to form the framework of the syllabus. This book is an important reference that brings together some of China's finest experts in respiratory and critical care medicine, as well as showcases the country's expertise in clinical research and professionalism in caring for the infirm."

Tiandong QIAN
Chairman of Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press

"The outcome of this collaboration between Elsevier and Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press is significant and its inherent value is of considerable relevance to the international health and science community. We've also signed licensing agreements for Russian, Japanese, Thai, Malaysian and Vietnamese rights to the book, which demonstrates its global impact."

Dr. Glyn Jones
Publisher, Elsevier

"The book proposal from Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press came at a very important time when doctors and nurses in Europe and the US were having to treat patients with coronavirus for the very first time, and were very interested to learn from China's experience, which it had built up in the months before. Recognizing the importance of the book, Elsevier undertook to ensure publication as soon as possible. Elsevier is committed to publishing high-quality content that will be of interest to researchers. So far this year, we have commissioned 17 new books - written by researchers from all over the world - related to various, different aspects of Covid-19."

Elsevier supports scientific and medical advancement for the benefit of our society. Publishing the English version of COVID-19: The Essentials of Prevention and Treatment in partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press is a way for us to facilitate the urgent global effort to understand, contain and eradicate the novel coronavirus. We believe that clear, consistent and evidence-based guidance and resources are crucial to helping communities overcome the pandemic. This book has undergone a rigorous peer-review process and draws on the rich experiences to present a first-hand account of frontline health care professionals combatting the virus over the course of two months."

Lynn LI, Managing Director Greater China, Elsevier