(Fighting New Coronary Pneumonia) Experts: Omicron Mutants Cause Pneumonia or Severe Disease Rate Lower Than Influenza

　　China News Agency, Beijing, December 5th. According to Chinese media reports on the 5th, Tong Zhaohui, a Chinese respiratory critical care expert and director of the Beijing Institute of Respiratory Diseases, said that international and domestic monitoring data confirmed that the new coronavirus Omicron mutant strain and The pathogenicity and virulence of its evolutionary branch are significantly weakened compared with the original strain and variant strains such as Delta.

　　Tong Zhaohui said that the mutant strain of Omicron has changed into several branches. According to clinical observations, Omicron is characterized by strong transmission, that is, the transmission speed is faster than the original strain, but the upper respiratory symptoms are still the main ones. Many people don't even have a high fever, only moderate to low fever, uncomfortable throat, and cough, mainly concentrated in the upper respiratory tract.

　　Tong Zhaohui said that during this period of time, from a domestic point of view, more than 90% of asymptomatic infections plus mild cases, and the proportion of ordinary, severe, and critical cases is even smaller.

"Recently, I was also on the front line in Beijing. I went to a designated hospital for ward rounds and consultations. There were only three or four cases that required hospitalization and intubation on a ventilator due to new coronary pneumonia."

　　Tong Zhaohui said that the proportion of severe illness and death caused by the Omicron mutant strain was significantly lower than that of the original strain and the concerned mutant strain. Active prevention strategies are relevant.

Compared with the global influenza epidemic in 2009, the current rate of pneumonia or severe or critical illness caused by the variant strain of Omicron is relatively low.

　　Tong Zhaohui said that in 2009, when influenza was prevalent in the world, including China, the proportion of influenza pneumonia was also very high at that time.

At that time, he also diagnosed many cases. The ICU was full of flu patients, who were on ventilators and ECMO.

Compared with the influenza at that time, the current variant of Omicron has a lower rate of pneumonia or severe and critical illness than influenza.

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