(Fighting against New Coronary Pneumonia) How to trace the source of the new coronavirus?

Expert: Evidence should be emphasized instead of political factors as the mainstream of traceability work

　　China News Service, Beijing, July 31 (Mar Shuaisha Li Chun) The World Health Organization Secretariat recently proposed the second phase of the new crown virus traceability work plan, which has attracted widespread public attention. Dozens of countries have sent letters to the WHO Director-General to point out , Virus traceability is a scientific task and should not be politicized.

　　What is the focus of the research on the traceability of the new coronavirus in the next phase?

How should the global traceability of the new coronavirus be carried out in the future?

Wang Guangfa, director of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, accepted an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Agency for interpretation.

　　Wang Guangfa first affirmed the role played by Chinese scientists in the discovery of the new coronavirus.

He said that at the end of 2019, China timely detected and reported the epidemic, and confirmed through scientific research in a timely manner that the pathogen of the epidemic was a new coronavirus, and announced its genetic sequence, which enabled foreign scholars to follow the published sequence. Conducted research and found that many places outside of China had evidence of the existence of the new coronavirus before the outbreak in Wuhan.

　　According to the research results of scientists from many countries, the emergence of the new coronavirus in many places around the world was earlier than the time of the outbreak in Wuhan. For example, before the outbreak in Wuhan, foreign wastewater samples tested positive for new coronavirus nucleic acid, and routine blood donation archived samples were tested for new coronavirus antibodies. Was positive.

　　In this regard, Wang Guangfa pointed out that the tracing work of the new coronavirus must first understand the time sequence of the virus's emergence. This time sequence should be stepped forward one by one to find the first place where the environmental virus test is positive or the human body is infected with the new coronavirus. .

The epidemic was first discovered in China. China was the place where cases were first reported, but it is not necessarily the place where the virus broke the species boundary and infected humans, that is, it was not the place where the virus originated.

The fact that cases earlier than China have been discovered in some places abroad has provided important evidence for this speculation, and the truth behind it will be explored by scientists.

　　Wang Guangfa believes that possible channels for the spread of the virus include personnel movement and cold chain transmission.

"Because the low temperature environment can significantly extend the survival time of the virus, cold chain transportation of food can be an important way to introduce the epidemic. This has been confirmed in several subsequent epidemics in many places in China."

　　Wang Chen, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, dean of the Peking Union Medical College, and director of the National Center for Respiratory Medicine, previously suggested that in the further traceability of the virus, the cold chain should be used as a key traceability clue.

Faced with the background of international trade, people-to-material transmission in the cold chain environment under the circumstances of people and goods exchanges around the world has increased the complexity of pathogen transmission, and it is especially worthy of investigation and research.

　　In this regard, Wang Guangfa said that the new coronavirus can remain active in a low-temperature and humid environment, although it does not replicate.

"Some wildlife trade may contaminate the cold storage, and then contaminate other foods in the cold storage, and bring the virus to humans. Although this is only a hypothesis, the evidence currently available can prove that the cold chain transportation environment will significantly extend the survival time of the virus. Increase the risk of transmission."

　　Wang Guangfa further pointed out that although other viruses such as avian influenza virus have similar characteristics, new coronary pneumonia is a respiratory infectious disease. Compared with good respiratory protection, such as wearing masks and washing hands, the public does not pay enough attention to the cold chain transmission of the virus. This is also easy to cause new coronavirus infection.

　　For a period of time, in order to shift the responsibility of their own ineffective fight against the epidemic, individual big countries have achieved the political purpose of discrediting and suppressing other countries, and they have politicized the epidemic.

In this regard, Wang Guangfa said that traceability should be based on evidence rather than conjecture, and political factors should not be turned into the mainstream of traceability work.

　　How should the global traceability research of the new coronavirus be carried out in the future?

Wang Guangfa pointed out that the first thing to do is to abandon political prejudice, and at the same time to allow scientists to carry out research in accordance with scientific thinking, scientific laws and scientific principles, and to trace the source at multiple locations around the world.

　　He pointed out that traceability is not a simple identification. It requires a chain of evidence. First, the time sequence of the discovery of the virus should be clarified, and the source should be traced in these countries and regions where the virus appeared earlier. By finding the earliest cases, investigating their trajectories and contacts Animals, lock the possible tracing direction.

　　Wang Guangfa emphasized that the reason why traceability is important is not for accountability, but mainly to avoid the recurrence of similar virus transmission.

There are many viruses outside of human cognition in nature. It is very important to understand what animal the virus is from, what kind of intermediate host it passes through, and through what channel to spread to human society. This is very important to avoid the spread of new viruses.

　　"We should look at the issue of tracing the source of the new coronavirus objectively. Scientific tracing is for the benefit and common well-being of all mankind." Wang Guangfa said.

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