"Bring all critically ill patients to me."

During the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, which was caused by a coronavirus, Zhong Nanshan, a pulmonologist, helped the country control the epidemic with his expertise and transparency about the disease.

Around 17 years later, he again spearheaded the country's fight against a new coronavirus, COVID-19, which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The 84-year-old was nominated for the Medal of the Republic, the country's highest honor, established last year to recognize exemplary and outstanding contributions to the nation's development.