Why is the epidemic in Jilin so serious in 2022? It is mainly related to these 3 reasons!

Since the local epidemic broke out in Jilin Province on March 10, the number of newly confirmed cases has exceeded thousands every day. As of now, the local epidemic is still in the high epidemic stage, and there is still a risk of community transmission. Then why is the epidemic in Jilin so serious in 2022? It is mainly related to these 3 reasons!

1. Why is the epidemic in Jilin so serious in 2022?

The two areas most severely affected by the local epidemic in Jilin Province are Changchun City and Jilin City. As of 16:00 on March 24, there were 10,859 confirmed cases in Changchun and 19,706 confirmed cases in Jilin. The cumulative number of reported local confirmed cases has exceeded 20,000. It is worth noting that the confirmed cases were mainly mild cases, accounting for more than 98%, while severe and critical patients were only a small number. According to Sun Chunlan, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, who conducted research and guidance on epidemic prevention and control in Jilin Province, the severity of this round of epidemic in Jilin is mainly related to the following three reasons:

1. Reason 1 for the serious epidemic in Jilin in 2022: The strain causing the virus is the Omicron variant

Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus in our country, it has mutated many times, and each mutation was caused by imported cases from abroad. The two new coronavirus variants that have had the most serious impact on our country are Delta and Omicron. Omicron first caused a local epidemic in Tianjin, but it is unknown when it mutated into the Omicron variant BA.2 evolutionary branch (but many parties have determined that it was caused by imported cases from abroad), and spread rapidly in most parts of our country. The source of the local epidemic in Jilin this time is it, and local epidemics in provinces and cities such as Guangdong, Hunan, Shandong, Jiangsu, and Shanghai are also related to it. The characteristics of the BA.2 evolutionary branch are extremely strong transmission ability, extremely fast transmission speed, and very atypical infection symptoms. So when Jilin was still realizing the severity of the epidemic, the virus had already spread rapidly in the local area.

2. The second reason why the epidemic in Jilin is so serious in 2022: increased mobility of people after the Spring Festival

After the Spring Festival, rural residents go to cities to find jobs, and students go to school. Especially college students, it is normal to go to school across cities. The increased mobility of people also increases the risk of transmission and accelerates the spread of the epidemic. When the virus was introduced into schools, which are places with dense crowds of people, the virus spread rapidly in the schools. According to the report, the number of students infected in this local epidemic in Jilin is relatively large.

3. Reason 3 for the serious epidemic in Jilin in 2022: The epidemic first occurred in rural areas

The COVID-19 epidemic is much easier to control in cities than in rural areas because urban residents are more concentrated, while in rural areas there is generally only one household every few miles, which makes it difficult to control. In spring, people in rural areas interact more frequently, and everyone is more familiar with each other. They have meals and parties together, and some even attend funerals. These are all very important reasons why the epidemic broke out in Jilin.

2. Where did the Jilin epidemic come from?

The first source was discovered on February 28 in Hunchun City through the "on-landing testing" of high-speed rail passengers, and the case was confirmed on March 1. The index case in Hunchun tested positive for nucleic acid when returning to Hunchun.

The second source is: It was discovered among the patients who actively sought medical treatment in Jilin City on March 2, and was confirmed and reported on March 3. After the outbreak, various parts of the province carried out screening of high-risk personnel and new infected people were discovered one after another.

In general, the reason why the local epidemic in Jilin is so serious is that the strain that caused it is an evolutionary branch of the Omicron variant BA.2, the mobility of people increased after the Spring Festival, and the epidemic first occurred in rural areas.