China News Service, Beijing, March 15 (Zhang Yilin) ​​Recently, the epidemic situation has spread in many places. What is the overall situation of the epidemic situation?

The Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council held a press conference on the afternoon of the 15th. The heads of relevant departments and bureaus of the Ministry of Education, the National Health Commission, and experts from the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Clinical Laboratory Center of the National Health Commission attended the press conference to introduce the prevention and control of the epidemic and the vaccination work. condition.

On March 15, the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council held a press conference to introduce the situation of epidemic prevention and control and vaccination.

Photo by Zhang Yilin

The local epidemic has spread to 28 provinces

The recent local outbreaks are mainly Omicron variant strains

  At the meeting, Mi Feng, spokesperson of the National Health and Medical Commission, said that recently, local clustered epidemics have occurred in many places and points in my country, mainly Omicron mutants, which spread quickly and are highly concealed.

Since March, the frequency of the epidemic has increased significantly, the number of infected people has increased rapidly, and the scope of infection has continued to expand, affecting 28 provinces.

The epidemic prevention and control is more difficult, and the prevention and control situation is severe and complicated.

The world is experiencing the fourth wave of the new crown epidemic

my country's epidemic risk is increasing

  At present, the world is experiencing the fourth wave of the new crown epidemic, with more than 10 million new cases reported every week for ten consecutive weeks.

The Asian region is showing a rapid upward trend, and the relevant countries and regions around my country continue to set the record for the highest number of new cases in a single day, and the risk of the introduction of the epidemic in my country is constantly increasing.

Citizens in Changchun conduct nucleic acid tests.

(Data map) Photo by Zhang Yao

The current prevention and control measures should be effective for the Omik army

Adhere to the general policy of "dynamic clearing" unswervingly

  According to Mi Feng, practice has proved that my country's current general policy of "dynamic clearing" and a series of prevention and control measures are effective in dealing with the Omicron variant.

It is necessary to adhere to the general strategy of "preventing imports from outside, preventing rebound from within" and the general policy of "dynamic clearing", take decisive measures, quickly trace the source, rapid nucleic acid screening, standardized centralized isolation, strict community management and control, and timely regional coordinated investigations. Check and make up for the loopholes in prevention and control, and do all the inspections, quarantines, and cures that should be done.

In March, the cumulative number of reported infections in the local epidemic exceeded 15,000

Local clustered epidemics show the characteristics of many points, wide areas and frequent occurrences

  Lei Zhenglong, deputy director and first-level inspector of the National Health Commission's Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention, said that since March this year, the frequency of local epidemics caused by imported epidemics has increased significantly, and the scope has continued to expand.

From March 1 to 14, the cumulative number of reported infections in the local epidemic has exceeded 15,000, affecting 28 provinces.

Recently, the epidemic situation in Jilin, Shandong, Shanghai, Guangdong, Hebei and other places is still developing. The epidemic situation in some areas is rising rapidly, and the risk of social spread and spillover is relatively high. All localities are speeding up the screening, transfer, and isolation of risk personnel. .

In general, the current local clustered epidemics are characterized by many points, wide areas, and frequent occurrences. The epidemic prevention and control situation in my country is severe and complex, and epidemic prevention and control are more difficult.

Facing the Omicron Variant

Vaccination and personal protection are the most important measures for prevention and control

  Wang Huaqing, chief expert of the immunization program of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that from the current global epidemic situation of the new crown virus, the recent cases caused by the new coronavirus Omicron variant have exceeded the peak of any previous variant strain, and the epidemic situation is relatively serious.

The characteristics of the Omicron variant virus itself have led to a further increase in infectivity, and its special concealment has also made prevention and control very difficult.

  He emphasized that when the Omicron variant is popular, the harm to the elderly is still relatively large.

From a global perspective, the number of hospitalizations and deaths caused by the Omicron variant is very large, resulting in a shortage of medical resources.

Under the current circumstances, vaccination and personal protection are still the most important measures to prevent and control the new crown.

Antigen testing cannot replace nucleic acid testing

Nucleic acid testing is still the "gold standard" for diagnosis

  Li Jinming, deputy director of the National Health and Medical Commission's Clinical Laboratory Center, said that if antigen detection and nucleic acid detection are compared, the specificity is different.

The specificity of antigen detection reagents can reach 99%, but the specificity of nucleic acid detection method is 100%, that is, nucleic acid detection method has no false positives.

Therefore, nucleic acid testing has always been the basis for determining new crown infection, and it is the "gold standard".

Antigen testing cannot replace nucleic acid testing.

When the antigen test is positive, the nucleic acid test must be used for confirmation.

However, if the nucleic acid test is positive, no matter whether the antigen test is negative or positive, the tested person must take measures as a new crown infection or a confirmed patient.

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