According to the National Health and Medical Commission, 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps reported 1,807 new local confirmed cases from 0 to 24:00 on March 12, all asymptomatic There were 1315 cases of infected people, involving a total of 20 provinces and cities, of which only Jilin province added “1412+744”. The wide scope of the spread and the large number of infected people caught many people by surprise.
A closer look at the current round of the epidemic shows that it is not difficult to find a major feature, that is, asymptomatic infection are very many. Why is this so? According to experts, this is mainly determined by the characteristics of the virus itself, vaccination and the immunity of the infected object. The Omicron variant virus is highly contagious and spreads fast. In Xi’an, there was even an infection caused by a mouthful of phlegm. However, in the context of widespread vaccination of the new crown vaccine, the “virulence” of the virus is further weakened, and the symptoms are often mild or almost no symptoms. This increases the invisibility of virus transmission – it is difficult to detect early, it is easy to form potential transmission, and it also increases the difficulty of traceability and investigation.
Of course, it also cannot be ignored that Omicron continues to mutate, which also complicates the epidemic prevention and control situation. In this round of epidemic, the virus infected by confirmed people reported in many places is BA.2. According to research estimates, this sub-variant is 30% more infectious than the previous BA.1, and due to a gene deletion on the S protein, BA.2 may cause nucleic acid detection to fail. In short, infected people with BA.2 will be more difficult to detect and have a greater chance of being missed. If the infected person cannot be detected early, the risk of transmission will be greatly increased.
The severe situation reminds once again that the epidemic prevention and control is far from being relaxed. The so-called “coexistence” with the virus is extremely irresponsible and fundamental. Not realistic. In view of the current situation, we must first adhere to the effective plan of normalized prevention and control. A closer look at the epidemic reports from various places shows that this round of epidemics has bloomed more frequently. There are indeed objective factors that the virus is cunning and hard to prevent. The more complicated the situation is, the more confident you must be, continue to implement the people-oriented positive strategy, adhere to the policy of precise prevention and control and dynamic clearing, especially the relevant parties must strictly implement their responsibilities, completely block the chain of transmission, and use the shortest time. Realize social cleanup.
Of course, in the new situation, there must be new methods. Omicron’s propagation is more stealthy, and puts forward higher requirements for “early detection”. To outperform the virus, it is necessary to promote the monitoring mode of “antigen screening, nucleic acid diagnosis”. On the one hand, nucleic acid testing is still the “gold standard”. For areas where it is really necessary, multiple rounds of nucleic acid testing are carried out to help quickly clear warehouses to the bottom. On the other hand, with antigen screening as a necessary supplement, especially when nucleic acid collection is inconvenient and resources are insufficient, antigen screening can improve the sensitivity of monitoring and early warning. At present, five new coronavirus antigen self-test products have been officially launched. They can be tested at home without professional assistance, let alone machine intervention, and the results can be obtained in a few minutes. Residents who really need self-testing can purchase through retail pharmacies, online sales platforms and other channels.
It must be seen that Omicron continues to mutate, the transmission is more insidious, and the number of asymptomatic infections increases, which is a common problem faced by the world. challenge. Looking ahead, China faces the risk of potential imported cases in order to achieve a larger-scale international opening. In this sense, the promotion of more diverse and rapid detection methods is not only an inevitable move to deal with the current epidemic, but also an important means to maintain a low risk of transmission in the long run. If all parties try as soon as possible to help them grow and mature, we will have an effective “post” for “early detection”.
With a little breakthrough every day, you will be able to “accumulate small wins and become big wins”. As Zhang Wenhong said, although our lives today are still partially affected, we have made great progress compared to two years ago. If we are not tired and discouraged, see tricks and dismantle tricks, respond quickly, insist on active prevention and control, and continue to build defense lines, we will surely usher in the victory day when the epidemic dissipates as soon as possible.
(Originally titled “The transmission is more hidden! Strive for “early detection” to get ahead of the virus” by Hu Yuqi from the Beijing Daily client )