1,100 new local infections! Omicron has another evolutionary branch, experts remind: This is crucial

From 0:00 to 24:00 on March 10, 555 new confirmed cases were reported in 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

Among them, there were 158 imported cases (51 in Guangdong, 32 in Shanghai, 21 in Gansu, 15 in Beijing, 9 in Guangxi, 6 in Tianjin, 6 in Sichuan, 4 in Hubei, 3 in Henan, 2 in Heilongjiang, 2 in Zhejiang, 2 in Anhui, 2 in Chongqing, 1 in Jilin, 1 in Fujian, and 1 in Yunnan), including 20 cases converted from asymptomatic infections to confirmed cases (8 in Guangdong, 6 in Sichuan, 2 in Zhejiang, 2 in Henan, 1 in Beijing, and 1 in Tianjin).

There are many asymptomatic infections

Omicron variants reported in many places

Since the 6th, for three consecutive days, the number of new local confirmed cases in 31 provinces has exceeded 500, and the number of new local asymptomatic infections has reached nearly 1,000.

The epidemic has been spreading in many places in China, and the prevention and control of the epidemic in various places is difficult. The epidemics reported in many places are all Omicron variants. In addition, the most obvious feature of this round of epidemic is the large number of asymptomatic infections. According to incomplete statistics, recently, the viruses infected by the infected people reported in Beijing, Shanghai, Shandong, Shaanxi and other places are all Omicron variants.

Lu Jiahai, director of the Key Laboratory of Vaccine and Biological Product Quality Monitoring and Evaluation of the National Medical Products Administration and professor at the School of Public Health of Sun Yat-sen University, said that because the Omicron strain has a longer incubation period, there are more asymptomatic infections and most of the infections are mild, which led to the epidemic breaking out only after it was latent for a period of time.

Why is there a large proportion of asymptomatic infections in this round of epidemic? Jiang Fachun, deputy director of Qingdao Center for Disease Control and Prevention, gave an answer to the local epidemic situation:

It is related to the characteristics of the Omicron variant itself.

As the virus mutates, the infectivity of the mutant strains increases and the clinical symptoms are relatively mild, resulting in many infected people not showing clinical symptoms after infection.

Related to large-scale population immunization.

The vaccination coverage rate is high now. The human body's immunity is enhanced after vaccination. Even if infected, some symptoms may not appear relatively well.

It is related to early detection and control.

The early implementation of measures such as rapid screening and rapid detection by disease control personnel enabled some early infected people to be discovered quickly, before they had time to show symptoms.

WHO:

Omicron subvariant strain BA.2 is more contagious

Currently, the Omicron strain has replaced the Delta strain as the main prevalent strain worldwide. The Omicron variant is highly contagious, spreads more complexly and covertly, and is difficult to prevent and control.

On March 9, at the Gansu Provincial COVID-19 Prevention and Control Press Conference, Zhang Hao, Director of the Gansu Provincial Health Commission, introduced that the "Omicron" variant is 2-4 times more transmissible than the previous Delta variant, and its reproduction rate in the bronchi is 70 times faster than Delta. Therefore, personal protection is extremely important.

Zhang Hao reminded that personal protection is still one of the most effective prevention and control measures. We should develop the good habit of wearing masks scientifically, washing hands frequently, ventilating frequently, not having dinner parties, covering our mouths and noses when sneezing and coughing, and try to avoid going to crowded, enclosed or poorly ventilated public places, and avoid crowding.

Zhang Hao also reminded that people should actively get vaccinated against the new coronavirus, monitor their personal health, avoid going out unless necessary, and check their personal information themselves.

Research shows:

Existing vaccines still have protective effects against the Omicron variant

The National Health Commission organized experts from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention to previously introduce that current research results show that the Omicron variant has not completely escaped the immune escape of existing vaccines; existing vaccines still have a certain protective effect against the Omicron variant, but their ability to prevent infection has decreased; the Omicron variant has not been found to cause an increase in the severity and mortality rates, and existing vaccines are still effective in preventing severe illness and death against the Omicron variant.

In addition, in response to the Omicron epidemic, Zhang Boli, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, suggested that the approval of vaccines specifically for the Omicron strain should be accelerated, and the relevant approval procedures should be accelerated. The results of the overseas trials of our Omicron vaccine should be used as a booster shot for sequential immunization and universal vaccination should be carried out to enable the entire population to passively form a herd immunity barrier against the Omicron virus.

Comprehensive sources: Xinhua News Agency, National Health Commission official website, Science Popularization China WeChat public account, Beijing Daily, etc.