(Interview between the two sessions) Yuan Zhiming, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
Chinanews.com, Beijing, March 6th. Title: Yuan Zhiming, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference: Strengthening the research on the prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases and drug reserves
China News Service reporter Ma Furong
"A good reserve of knowledge, technology, medicines and personnel is one of the effective ways to deal with infectious diseases." Yuan Zhiming, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and president of the Wuhan Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, called in an interview to take precautions and strengthen emerging infectious diseases. Prevention and control technology and vaccine drug reserve research.
"We should realize that the struggle between humans and infectious diseases is a long-term process." Yuan Zhiming introduced that emerging and emerging infectious diseases are characterized by rapid spread, wide spread, and large impact.
Since the outbreak of SARS, there have been outbreaks characterized by cross-species transmission in the world, such as highly pathogenic influenza, Middle East respiratory distress syndrome (MERS), West Nile fever, Ebola hemorrhagic fever, etc., which are very harmful.
Yuan Zhiming believes that humans cannot control when infectious diseases will come, but they can turn "passive" into "active".
After the outbreak of an infectious disease, find it as soon as possible, quickly assess the risk, come up with testing methods, develop drugs and vaccines, and minimize losses.
Quick response is inseparable from the accumulation of basic research and reserves of knowledge, talents, and technology.
The rapid identification of the pathogen of the new crown pneumonia epidemic is proof.
Yuan Zhiming introduced that after the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia, thanks to the previous accumulation in the field of coronavirus research and the high-level biosafety laboratory platform and technical support, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences received clinical samples of unexplained pneumonia and quickly completed the virus. Identification, isolation, and sequence determination have shared the virus sequence with the world in a timely manner, laying a foundation for the later development of detection technology and vaccine design and development, and gaining time for the world to fight the epidemic.
Based on this, facing a more complex and ever-changing biosecurity situation and huge pressure on the prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases, Yuan Zhiming called for the launch of the national basic research and key core technology research plan for the prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases, and the formation of national knowledge, technology and drugs Reserve system.
He suggested establishing a number of national and regional laboratories for emerging infectious diseases, and relying on established and about to deploy high-level biosafety laboratories to establish infectious disease research in North China, East China, Central China, South China, Northeast China, and Northwest China. platform.
"With a plan and a platform, someone needs to do it." Yuan Zhiming pointed out that it is necessary to encourage and support qualified scientific research institutions to carry out long-term monitoring, detection and research on pathogens of newly emerging infectious diseases, and to clarify the biological characteristics of important pathogens and the causes of infection. Basic issues such as pathogenesis provide new theoretical basis and strategies for the clinical treatment of viral infectious diseases.
On the other hand, it is necessary to develop rapid, efficient and accurate detection and identification of pathogens, and to screen some drugs that are effective in curbing the virus, so as to "prepare for the development of vaccines."
"In this process, scientific research institutions must be closely integrated with clinical medical institutions and disease prevention and control institutions." He emphasized.
When it comes to technology research and development, he recommends that scientific researchers closely cooperate with companies in accordance with the requirements for testing, drug and vaccine product development. "Otherwise, what the laboratory does will always be what is in the laboratory, and it cannot be applied to the clinic or to the production." (Finish)