Will I be infected with the virus from my hometown if I go home? Can people from all over the country have a reunion dinner together?

As the Spring Festival approaches, with the optimization and adjustment of the national epidemic prevention and control policies, many wanderers have embarked on their journey home, and the lively Spring Festival is back. However, the flow of people during the Spring Festival has increased significantly, and many people have begun to worry: Will they be infected with the "hometown strain" when they go home for the New Year? Will the "Yangkang" from all over the country have cross-infection when they have a reunion dinner together? Focusing on these hot issues, the author interprets them one by one and sorts out scientific protection matters during travel.

01

When I go home for the New Year, will I be infected with new strains of the virus from my hometown or get cross-infected?

The Spring Festival travel rush is a great migration of Chinese people, and it is a meeting of people from all over the world. The well-known new coronavirus has also spread with this flow, from the cold north to the warm south, and from the bustling cities to the vast countryside. Will people who are "Yangkang" and "Yangguo" return to their hometowns to be infected with new strains or cross-infection? According to the virological monitoring of my country's disease control department, the current prevalent virus strains in my country are mainly sub-branches BA.5.2 and BF.7 of the new coronavirus Omicron BA.5 strain. These two strains are currently the absolute dominant strains in my country and are also the types of infection for most people. Although there are differences between the north and the south, the infected virus strains are all "relatives". After being infected with the new coronavirus Omicron virus strain before, certain antibodies will be produced. These antibodies can neutralize the same or similar virus strains and can protect us. Therefore, people who go home do not need to worry about being infected again when they go home.

The principle of infection with the new coronavirus is similar to that of vaccination with the new coronavirus vaccine. The antibodies produced in the body will gradually decrease over time, and the protective power of the human body will gradually decrease. After a period of time, such as more than half a year, people's chances of being infected again will increase. Among the patients infected with the new coronavirus who were treated at the fever clinic of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital in December, 87.5% of the patients had been vaccinated for more than half a year. Therefore, the protective antibodies of the new coronavirus will not last long in the body, and personal protection should not be taken lightly.

02

Can the "Yangkang" people from all over the country have a family reunion dinner together after returning home? What matters need to be paid attention to during the dinner?

The Spring Festival gathering is essential, and the "Yangkang" can finally have a reunion dinner after several years of separation. As mentioned earlier, the virus strains infected by people from all over the world are basically similar, and people who have been infected with the new coronavirus often have protective antibodies. Therefore, the risk of transmission is not high for "Yangkang" people to eat reunion dinner. Even if everyone can have a reunion dinner together, the number of people should be reduced as much as possible, the dinner time should be shortened, and the risk of transmission should be reduced.

It should be noted that if you are not sure whether you are really "positive and healthy", you should reduce the chances of gathering and moving around. The method of judging "positive and healthy" is to have a normal body temperature for at least three days, physical strength and appetite recovery, two consecutive nucleic acid negatives or three consecutive days of self-test antigen negatives. In this case, the risk of infection will be significantly reduced.

Even if "Yangkang" people sit at the same table, they should not overeat, especially drink too much, stay up late, or be overly excited. After being infected with the new coronavirus, in addition to the lungs, the heart, liver, brain, and gastrointestinal tract are damaged to a certain extent. The human body is gradually recovering from the "battle" against the virus. At this time, bad eating and resting habits will affect its recovery and increase the risk of inducing diseases. Such a reunion dinner will not be worth the loss.

The elderly and those with chronic underlying diseases should also try to avoid gatherings for meals. Proper rest and avoiding emotional excitement and fatigue can help them recover from the "battle" with the new coronavirus infection. If these people need to meet with relatives and friends, it is recommended to arrange in batches, or to convey blessings through non-contact methods such as telephone and video.

03

How should we protect ourselves while traveling during the Spring Festival?

People who are eager to return home often conduct COVID-19-related tests or self-diagnose themselves as having tested positive based on symptoms before returning home. If they do not know whether they have tested positive or not, they should still adhere to the protective habits of the past three years on their way home.

Winter is the peak season for respiratory infectious diseases. From the influenza in previous winters to the current popular novel coronavirus Omicron strain, most of them are transmitted through close contact, droplets, aerosols, etc. People who rely on public transportation to travel will inevitably have the above-mentioned contact methods in closed environments such as cars, high-speed trains, airplanes, and ships, and there is a risk of infection. It is very important to maintain a safe social distance, disinfect the surfaces of objects that may be contaminated with the virus, insist on wearing N95 masks correctly and scientifically, wash hands frequently, ventilate frequently, and other good personal protection habits. The experience of specialists in the fever clinic of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital shows that through correct protective measures, such as wearing N95 masks, checking the air tightness of masks, wearing gloves, disinfecting hands after touching public items, and wearing face shields, it is very effective to prevent infection with the new coronavirus in public places at work.

Before traveling, you should plan your protective gear reasonably and prepare sufficient masks, disinfectants and other protective gear, which can be replaced in time if contaminated. At the same time, you should check the luggage requirements of transportation and avoid traveling with prohibited items. For the elderly who have not "passed the test", people with serious underlying diseases and pregnant women, it is not recommended to travel by public transportation. These people need to protect themselves more when traveling.

At the same time, people who are in good health should assess their physical condition before returning home. If they still have a low fever, chest tightness, shortness of breath, palpitations, or obvious fatigue, they can ask professional medical personnel to help judge and do what they can to avoid worsening of their condition after being tired during the journey.

Author | Liu Yongzhe, attending physician of the Department of Infection and Clinical Microbiology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University

Review | Gu Li, Director of the Department of Infection and Clinical Microbiology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University

This article is produced by the "Science Rumor Refutation Platform" (ID: Science_Facts). Please indicate the source when reprinting.