How pathogenic is Omicron? How to treat it? ——Experts from the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council respond to epidemic prevention hotspots

　　Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, December 5th

　　Xinhua News Agency reporter

　　With the weakening of the pathogenicity of Omicron virus, the popularization of vaccination, and the accumulation of experience in prevention and control, my country's epidemic prevention and control is facing new situations and new tasks.

Judging from the recent front-line treatment situation, is the rate of severe illness caused by Omicron high?

How to treat the elderly and patients with underlying diseases infected with Omicron?

The Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council organized respiratory critical illness expert Tong Zhaohui, vice president of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, and director of Beijing Institute of Respiratory Diseases to give professional answers.

　　1. Question: Judging from the recent front-line treatment situation, is there a high rate of severe illness caused by Omicron?

　　Answer: With the mutation of the virus, the popularization of vaccination, and the accumulation of experience in prevention and control, the hospitalization rate, severe disease rate, and fatality rate caused by Omicron have all been greatly reduced.

Judging from the current national cases, the upper respiratory symptoms after infection with Omicron are mainly manifested as throat discomfort and coughing.

Asymptomatic and mild cases accounted for more than 90%. There were not many common cases (pneumonia symptoms), and the proportion of severe cases (needing high-flow oxygen therapy or receiving non-invasive and invasive ventilation) was even smaller.

　　This is very different from the symptoms caused by the original strain of the new coronavirus during the Wuhan Defense War.

At that time, there were many critically ill patients, and some young and middle-aged patients had white lungs and acute respiratory failure.

However, during the current round of the epidemic, judging from the treatment situation of designated hospitals in Beijing, there are only a few cases of patients who are actually intubated on ventilators due to new coronary pneumonia.

　　2. Question: How to treat the elderly and patients with underlying diseases infected with Omicron?

　　Answer: Elderly people, patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and other basic diseases, tumor patients undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy, pregnant women in late pregnancy, etc., have low immunity and can be classified as vulnerable groups.

Judging from the current treatment situation, they were admitted to designated hospitals after being infected with the new coronavirus, most of them were due to primary diseases, but they could not be admitted to ordinary hospitals due to positive nucleic acid.

The symptoms of new coronary pneumonia in such patients are not obvious, and the treatment usually does not make much difference.

　　For a small number of patients with typical clinical manifestations of new coronary pneumonia such as CT images, medical staff strictly follow the standard regulations to treat them.

　　In the designated hospitals in Beijing, for some elderly patients with underlying diseases, multidisciplinary experts will also be organized for consultation.

After treatment, if the patient's nucleic acid test has turned negative, they will be gradually diverted from designated hospitals to other hospitals.

(Source: Xinhuanet)