This article is reproduced from: Global Times New Media
The surge in confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia in many places in China has caused concern. According to a report from the National Health and Medical Commission, on the 9th, a total of 402 new local cases were reported nationwide (233 the previous day), and 435 new local asymptomatic infections (322 the previous day). According to Reuters, the number of new asymptomatic infections in China in a single day hit a new high in nearly two years. Experts said that the spread of this round of epidemics across the country is related to the characteristics of the Omicron variant.
Of the 402 new local cases nationwide on the 9th, 165 were in Jilin Province. This is the highest number of new cases in a single day in Jilin province since China contained its first nationwide outbreak in early 2020, Reuters said. The number of cases in China remains low by global standards. “The country adheres to the ‘dynamic clearing’ policy, where local authorities quickly identify and isolate every infected person and their close contacts, and implement different levels of containment measures to reduce the spread.” The Associated Press said the measures taken by local governments showed that , China is fighting the new peak of the epidemic with a more selective approach.
At present, a total of 20 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) have found locally confirmed cases and asymptomatic infections, showing a multi-point sporadic trend. There is a new feature in this round of the epidemic, that is, there are more local asymptomatic infections than confirmed cases for 4 consecutive days since the 6th.
Lu Jiahai, director of the Key Laboratory of Quality Monitoring and Evaluation of Vaccines and Biological Products of the State Drug Administration and a professor at the School of Public Health of Sun Yat-Sen University, believes that this round of epidemic situation is complex, with hidden transmission and sporadic distribution. Because the incubation period of the Omicron strain is longer, there are more asymptomatic infections, and mild symptoms are the main symptoms after infection, resulting in the outbreak of the epidemic after a period of concealment. An immunology expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times reporter that at present, there are many new infections in my country, which are widely distributed and have many sources, which increases the possibility of further infection.
Feng Duojia, president of the China Vaccine Industry Association, told the Global Times that the current vaccination rate of my country’s new coronary pneumonia vaccine has exceeded 87%. Considering that many infected people are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, the vaccine is played an important role, the initial immune barrier should have been established. But from a global perspective, the virus is mutating faster than the immune barrier is built. At present, there are three lines of defense for epidemic prevention. The first is physical isolation, including travel restrictions, isolation, and wearing masks; the second line of defense is vaccines; and the third line of defense is medical treatment. The three lines have their own advantages and disadvantages, and they cannot replace each other and can only play a role in synergy. ▲
Our reporter Guo Yuandan