Beijing: A 7-minute race to save life amid COVID-19 pandemic

On May 8, 2022, a residential compound in Chaoyang District, Beijing, went into quarantine management as three people inside tested positive during a preliminary COVID screening. However, in the same evening, at 9:20 p.m., the local police station received an emergency call reporting that an elderly person in the compound was suffering from a sudden heart attack and was in urgent need of medical treatment. Two police officers on duty then set off for the compound on short notice.

When they arrived, the patient had already passed out and her husband was desperate for help. In light of the situation, the police called up the hospital to arrange for an emergency room and decided to transfer the patient there in their police car.

The siren sounded and the lights flashed as the police car raced at full speeds on a life-saving mission. An emergency route was made clear for the car, with it only taking 7 minutes for the patient to get to the hospital.

In retrospect, 5 more minutes would likely have made the difference between life and death, said the doctor who successfully completed an emergency surgery for the patient. In the end, one life has been saved and a family has therefore been shielded from tragedy. Yet there’s no time for the police officers to linger around after their efforts, as they must return at once to engage in the intense work of enforcing COVID-19 regulations.