Zhong Nanshan, a prominent infectious disease expert, has been nominated for a highly prestigious honor for his outstanding contribution to    1    (fight) the COVID-19 epidemic in China, according to a notice    2    (release) on Monday by a working committee on Party and State medals and honorary titles. The committee recommended Zhong     3     (receive) the Medal of the Republic this year. Zhong is a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease.

Zhang Boli, Zhang Dingyu and Chen Wei, all of    4    played an important role in the fight     5    COVID-19, were shortlisted for national honorary titles, it added.

Zhang Boli, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, has been devoted to the study of    6    (tradition) Chinese medicine (TCM). He    7    (lead) the formulation of the TCM treatment protocol for COVID-19 patients and offered    8    (guide) on TCM treatment for COVID-19 patients.

Zhang Dingyu, head of Jinyintan Hospital, one of the designated hospitals for COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, has been leading the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the city once hard    9    (hit) by the epidemic, the working committee said.

Chen Wei,    10    researcher with the Institute of Military Medicine under the Academy of Military Sciences, has earned major achievements in basic research and development of vaccines and drugs against COVID-19.