A special online course produced by epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan's medical team has been launched to spread knowledge about fighting COVID-19, the pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus.

Zhong, a renowned respiratory expert and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Zheng Jinping and Huang Qinghui, both vice-presidents of Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health; Wang Xinhua, president of Guangzhou Medical University; and other senior medical experts give instructions in the video, according to a statement released on the WeChat account of Nanshan Respiration on Wednesday.

In addition to clinical knowledge, the course includes information on major symptoms of COVID-19, how the novel coronavirus is transmitted from people to people, how to prevent infection with the deadly disease and what role traditional Chinese medicine plays.

"The course, which focuses on fighting the novel coronavirus pneumonia, is good not only for doctors and students majoring medicine, but also for the masses. It aims to raise awareness of the public to prevent and control the epidemic," the statement said.

Medical staff members and residents can now download and watch the series on their personal computers and mobile phones after registering online, it said.