Recently, the BA.4 and BA.5 subclades of Omicron have become the main epidemic strains in South Africa, Portugal and other countries, and Beijing, Tianjin, Shaanxi and other places in my country have also successively reported imported cases from the BA.5 subclade caused by local epidemics. Dong Xiaoping, chief expert of virology at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an interview with reporters that the current data shows that the transmission power of BA.4 and BA.5 subclades has been significantly improved, but the pathogenicity is not significantly compared with other Omicron subclades. Changes, the ninth edition of the prevention and control plan still applies.
“The incubation period of the BA.4 and BA.5 subclades was significantly shortened, and in the absence or little intervention of public health measures, the basic infection number (R0) reflecting the spread of the virus was very high, giving The world has brought greater pressure.” Dong Xiaoping introduced, but in general, compared with other Omicoron sub-branches, its pathogenicity has not significantly increased or weakened, and it is still relatively large for the elderly and people with underlying diseases. threaten.
On July 8, residents of Zitingyuan Community, Qujiang New District, Xi’an City underwent nucleic acid testing. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Bowen
Dong Xiaoping said that the ninth edition of the prevention and control plan has raised the monitoring of the virus to a higher position, reflecting the hierarchical nucleic acid screening The investigation plan, the frequency of nucleic acid testing for risk occupational groups are encrypted, and antigen testing is added as a supplementary means of epidemic monitoring. “These measures in the ninth edition of the prevention and control plan are effective for BA.4 and BA.5 subclades.”
Existing new coronavirus vaccines are effective for BA.4 and BA.5 subclades Is the branch still valid? Dong Xiaoping said that the immune escape ability of BA.4 and BA.5 subclades has been enhanced, but vaccination is still effective in preventing severe illness and death, and the effect of preventing infection needs to be observed with larger data. He called on people who meet the requirements for vaccination to complete the whole process of vaccination and booster immunization of the new crown virus as soon as possible.
Will people who have previously been infected with the new coronavirus re-infect the Omicron variant? Dong Xiaoping said that there is still the possibility of being infected by the Omicron variant, but it will not be more susceptible or have more serious clinical outcomes than other populations.
“For BA.4 and BA.5 sub-branches, we can’t take it lightly, but don’t panic.” Dong Xiaoping said. (Reporters Xu Penghang and Dong Ruifeng)