(Combating New Coronary Pneumonia) From "very high" to possible "pandemic" How should the world prevent epidemics?

China News Agency, Beijing, February 29th: From "very high" to possible "pandemic", how should the world prevent epidemics?

Author Zhang Su Guo Chaokai

The World Health Organization recently raised the global risk level of the new crown pneumonia epidemic from "high" to "very high". what does this mean? In the face of or coming pandemic, how should countries respond?

"Very high" but there are still opportunities to control the outbreak

The WHO Director-General Tandesser announced on the 28th that he has increased the risk level. He also emphasized that the world still has the opportunity to control the new crown pneumonia epidemic, "the key is to block the virus transmission chain."

According to the WHO's report on the 28th, there are 4,351 new cases of new crown pneumonia in 49 countries outside China. Denmark, the Netherlands, Nigeria and other countries reported their first cases. South Korea added more than 500 confirmed cases in a single day for three consecutive days, 940 confirmed cases in Japan, and 888 confirmed cases in Italy. Tan Desai bluntly said that outside China is now the biggest worry.

The World Health Organization announced on January 22 that the global risk level of the new crown pneumonia epidemic was "high" and the risk level in China was "very high". Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergency Program, said that raising global risks to the highest levels now prepares countries.

The reporter noticed that on June 11, 2009, then Director-General of the People's Government of the People's Republic of China, Chen Fengfuzhen, announced that the level of H1N1 influenza alert was raised to level 6, which is also the highest level, which means that WHO believes that the epidemic has developed into a global popular". At that time, there were 28,774 confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza and 144 deaths in 75 countries and regions.

Tang Bei, associate researcher at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs at Shanghai International Studies University, said in an interview with a China News Agency reporter on the 29th that "very high" and alert levels are grading standards, the latter is set for influenza.

It is worth mentioning that on January 30, the WHO declared China's epidemic as "a public health emergency of international concern" (PHEIC). Tang Bei believes that when the "Emergency Committee" first proposed PHEIC recommendations, it was divided according to "China / other countries / international society". As the epidemic develops, China may no longer be listed separately.

A "pandemic" should prepare for the potential

The term "pandemic", which is derived from influenza, has appeared frequently in recent days.

Bill Gates, co-chair of the US Gates Foundation, wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine that New Crown Pneumonia may become a "pandemic" that has never happened in a century. Thomas Frieden, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said a "pandemic" of the new crown pneumonia epidemic is inevitable. Periodicals such as Nature and Science have also published articles with similar views.

On February 24, Tan Desai clearly stated that after the joint inspection team of WHO and China concluded that China ’s national defense epidemic measures had avoided a large number of cases, the peak of the epidemic had passed and had not yet constituted a “global pandemic” ".

Lu Shan, a professor at the Massachusetts State University School of Medicine and a viral vaccine scientist, said in an interview that there are three main criteria for determining a "global pandemic." First, the disease broke out on several continents at the same time; second, the population was large; third, the epidemic was "out of control like wildfires burning everywhere". He further analyzed that the reason why WHO believes that it has not yet constituted a “global pandemic” is based on the fact that it has not seen an outbreak of large populations across the continent.

"Maybe" is more important than "is it". Professor Chen Mingming of Oxford University expects that "this week is the key. If further development is expected, WHO is expected to reach a formal conclusion."

"How to do" can learn from China's defense control measures

Several experts, including Tedessa, stressed that the world should prepare for a "potential pandemic."

How to do it? Tang Bei believes that by increasing the level of risk, the World Health Organization will set the "siren" of the international community to a higher level, and it also requires the international community to launch activists at a higher level. "As for the measures that countries should take, WHO has repeatedly given recommendations." She noted that the "China-WHO Joint Report on New Coronavirus Pneumonia (COVID-19)" also gave more detailed recommendations.

This report was formed by a joint study group of 25 Chinese and foreign experts, which was formed after conducting a 9-day study tour in Beijing, Guangdong, Sichuan and Wuhan, Hubei and other places. According to the report, China has proven that the only measures that can block or minimize the spread of E.coli virus include: proactive surveillance, rapid detection and immediate diagnosis, isolation of cases, strict tracking and isolation of close contacts, and guidance to the public to understand and accept the above Measures.

Lu Shan said that when the epidemic came, there was no effective medicine, and the improvement of the basic treatment level should be valued so that the early infected people should not develop in a serious direction. He also pointed out that the severity of the epidemic depends on national or regional response measures and the resources that can be used, and it is also related to the attitude of the local people to the epidemic.

Bill Gates called for "global leaders to act now." In his article, he said that various national and local governments and public health agencies can take action in the coming weeks. In addition to protecting their citizens, donor governments should help low- and middle-income countries prepare for the epidemic.

The interviewed experts noticed that after providing help within their ability to fight the epidemic in South Korea, Japan and other countries, a team of Chinese medical experts arrived in Iran on the 29th and will work with Iran to fight the "epidemic". (Finish)