Urban Miracle Doctor-Chapter 301: The Conscious Virus

"This is the expert from Zhongzhou brought in to address this epidemic, Dr. Qin," the accompanying security officer explained.

"A doctor? Shouldn’t a doctor know the importance of wearing a mask during an epidemic?" Duanmu Ye said, frowning.

Qin Han nodded and said, "I don’t need to wear one; let’s save it for those who do need it. Where is Sun Pinghui now?"

"Let him pass. Dr. Qin’s medical skills are excellent; he won’t get infected," Ming Xizhi added.

"But..."

Qin Han raised his hand, took the mask, and put it on. For someone as diligent and responsible as he, respect was due, even though he feared no germs, but others didn’t know that.

This care and responsibility.

"Please lead the way!"

When they reached the intensive care unit, Qin Han saw Sun Pinghui lying pale-faced on the hospital bed through the glass window and immediately said, "Everyone else wait outside; I’ll go in and check!"

"Dr. Qin?" Just as Qin Han was about to open the door, he heard someone calling him and turned to see it was Dr. Luo Ming from the First Hospital.

"Dr. Luo, hello," Qin Han replied with a nod.

"It really is you! That’s great, you being here, there’s hope for Jiangcheng," Luo Ming said excitedly. Knowing that Qin Han did not like to dally, he quickly explained the situation of the epidemic.

"The onset of this epidemic is rapid. Those infected show symptoms just three hours post-infection. We have never encountered such a virus before; it operates by destroying the central nervous system to gradually take control of the infected," he explained.

"Control the infected?" Qin Han asked in surprise.

Luo Ming smiled bitterly and shook his head as he continued, "Yes, it controls the infected."

"After being controlled, the infected themselves aren’t aggressive, apart from a faint black discoloration of their faces; otherwise, they look no different from uninfected people. However, they do actively infect others through respiration and blood contact."

"Blood contact? Does that mean the infected go biting other people?" Qin Han asked.

"No, Dr. Qin, if that were the case, wouldn’t they just be zombies? They consciously smear their blood onto uninfected people!" Luo Ming explained.

"The entire outbreak seems utterly inconceivable. Moreover, the latest conclusions from the lab indicate that this virus has a consciousness!"

"A virus with consciousness?" Qin Han asked again, bewildered as it was the first time in his career to hear of a virus intentionally infecting others.

"Yes, it’s like... how should I put it? It’s like an entirely new species wanting to propagate itself," Luo Ming said helplessly.

He couldn’t think of a better way to explain it, being someone who usually enjoyed sci-fi movies, using that as his analogy.

"So how long can an infected person last after showing symptoms?"

"This is the critical point. The infected show symptoms three hours post-infection, and within the following two hours, they cough up large amounts of blood, accompanied by fever. As their face color deepens, the coughing stops, but there’s a peculiar phenomenon—people with low immunity usually experience rapid organ failure within six hours and die," Luo Ming explained.

"However, some of the infected who do not die after six hours try every means possible to infect others."

"Due to our initial unfamiliarity with the pathogen of this epidemic, we thought that patients who survived over six hours developed antibodies. After drawing their blood, we didn’t follow up, which led to even more infections."

"That’s how Elder Sun was infected."

Qin Han frowned and asked, "How long has it been since Sun Pinghui was infected? How are infected survivors, those who haven’t died after six hours, being handled now?"

"Sun Pinghui is now infected for three hours and is starting to cough up blood; none of the infected who haven’t died are gathered and watched over on the fourth floor,"

Qin Han nodded and said, "I will go in and see Sun Pinghui first!"

"Doctor Qin, per Elder Sun’s request, we have isolated him here alone. He doesn’t want to become someone who infects others. If... if there is no saving Elder Sun..." Luo Ming’s eyes reddened a bit.

"I know what to do!" Qin Han took a deep breath and walked into the ward.

The others were watching through the observation window as Qin Han walked step by step into the ward.

Although Qin Han somewhat disliked Sun Pinghui for always bothering him, he acknowledged Sun Pinghui’s medical ethics.

Slowly walking up to the bed, looking at Sun Pinghui whose consciousness was already somewhat blurred, Qin Han took off his mask.

"Doctor Luo, why did he take off his mask? And does he have a way to save Grandpa?" said Sun An, who had caused an uproar at Qin’s clinic and later distorted the facts to smash it with Sun Pinghui.

Watching Qin Han inside, Sun An said worriedly.

After six months of self-reflection, Sun An had come to handle the Jiangcheng epidemic with Sun Pinghui, not expecting Sun Pinghui to become infected as well.

"He must have a way!" Luo Ming comforted Sun An.

Just as Qin Han removed his mask, the barely conscious Sun Pinghui lifted his right hand and pointed at the antiepidemic mask on Qin Han’s face. His intention was clear—to have Qin Han put on the mask.

"No worries, I’m fine," Qin Han said lightly.

Just after he finished speaking, Sun Pinghui suddenly put his hand down, gripped his chest forcefully, and spat out a mouthful of blood. However, the color of the blood was not the dark red of normal humans but somewhat pale black instead.

Immediately, Qin Han tapped a few times on Sun Pinghui’s chest with the Spirit Rhinoceros Finger, but to his surprise, Sun Pinghui’s symptoms of coughing up blood didn’t improve at all, and instead, they became even more severe.

Seeing this, Sun An made a move to enter through the door but was firmly held back by Luo Ming.

Taking out the needle pouch he carried with him, Qin Han quickly pulled out three Golden Needles and placed them on top of Sun Pinghui’s head. According to Luo Ming, the virus would reach the central nervous system of the infected after three hours, so he first had to preserve Sun Pinghui’s central nervous system.

However, Qin Han was surprised when the Golden Needles touched Sun Pinghui’s head, as the symptoms of coughing up blood suddenly stopped.

At that moment, Sun Pinghui suddenly sat up, grabbed Qin Han’s hand, and said anxiously,

"Qin Han, my time is running out. The characteristic of this virus is to target human central nervous systems. They are sentient, live viruses. Contact the military immediately to exterminate all infected individuals!"

After speaking a few sentences, Sun Pinghui lay down again, returning to a state of fading consciousness.

Qin Han tried to remove the Golden Needles from Sun Pinghui’s head, but as soon as he touched the needles, Sun Pinghui would start coughing up blood again.

It was utterly bizarre, as if there was a force inside Sun Pinghui contending with Qin Han, and now it was only suppressed by Qin Han’s three needles.

After checking Sun Pinghui’s pulse again, Qin Han, frowning, walked out of the observation room. As soon as Qin Han appeared outside the observation room, Luo Ming approached and asked anxiously, "Doctor Qin, how is Elder Sun’s condition?"

"It’s very strange, the viruses in his body seem to be more than just sentient," Qin Han shook his head and said.

Luo Ming was somewhat disheartened. Could it be that even Doctor Qin couldn’t treat this epidemic?

"Doctor Qin, then do we have a way to kill this virus?"

"I don’t have any leads yet. I need further study. However, one thing I have ascertained is that the plague virus in Elder Sun’s body needs a process to control its host!"