Source: Ring Time Deep Observation
Only a week after the discovery and naming of the new variant of the new coronavirus strain "Omikejong", the Countries with the best medical security conditions and the highest vaccination rates such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Israel, and Japan have been in chaos, taking the lead in issuing travel bans to South Africa and neighboring countries. And these "banned" countries are also clamoring that countries that actively monitor and report new variants of the virus should not be punished with "cut-offs."
Krittan Bahana, editor-in-chief of South Africa's Diplomacy magazine, said frankly that the new crown pneumonia epidemic is a test for all mankind and, to some extent, a touchstone for measuring international relations.
Reporter | Zou Song Jiang Xuan
A piece of "missing gene" alarmed the world
On the afternoon of November 4, alicia, an assistant researcher with a master's degree in virology, at the Lancet Laboratory in Pretoria, South Africa, noticed that one of the hundreds of new coronavirus test results was somewhat abnormal.
She seems to have seen this "abnormality", that is, in the second half of last year, the Alpha variant strain that is thought to have erupted in the United Kingdom has a similar "abnormality" - the lack of an S gene that can be used to identify the characteristics of the new crown virus, which produces spinous proteins on the strain.
Alicia can't explain this change, after all, after more than a year of iteration of the new crown virus, the alpha mutation strain has become rare, and now the sample is not only missing the S gene, but also two new genes, is this a new virus mutation?
In the week that followed, Alicia noticed that this "abnormal" sample was increasing, and the laboratory immediately reported it to Professor Alison Glass, the head of the Lancet Laboratory and a molecular biologist.
Glass is a member of South Africa's COVID-19 Advisory Committee and has access to COVID-19 testing in other parts of South Africa.
She noticed Alicia's report from hundreds of work emails a day. But in mid-November, south Africa had fewer than 500 confirmed cases of COVID-19 per day, and the samples that matched Alicia's "abnormality" report were still too few.
But this "abnormality" may be some kind of mutation, and it may be more pathogenic or trigger immune escape.
To be foolproof, Glass informed Gertberg, a professor of pathology at South Africa's National Centre for Infectious Diseases.
As a result, a "poison detection" competition between independent laboratories and national testing teams began, and genetic sequencing for "abnormal" samples began rapidly in major cities such as Johannesburg.
On November 22, a South African research team confirmed that enough "abnormal" samples of the new coronavirus had been tracked.
The next day, South Africa's National Centre for Infectious Diseases announced the emergence of a new variant of the new coronavirus, B.1.1.529, and uploaded the genome sequence of this variant to the "Global Public Genome Database" for global scientists to study together.
On November 26, the World Health Organization named B.1.1.529 "Omi kerong", becoming the fifth new coronavirus variant strain that deserves "high attention", but at present, the transmissibility, pathogenicity and immune escape ability of Omiqueron still need to be systematically studied.
The day before WHO named "OmiKeron", the United Kingdom had announced the suspension of flights to southern African countries, including South Africa, followed by similar travel bans from Israel, the United States, Japan, Italy and other countries.
As of December 2, more than 35 countries and territories around the world had cut off personnel contact with southern African countries. Israel and Japan have even announced "lockdowns" that cut off all international travel.
The World Health Organization has criticized the sweeping travel ban, arguing that it will not stop the international spread of Omi kerong, but will only place a heavy burden on people's lives and livelihoods, inhibiting the enthusiasm of countries to report and share COVID-19 epidemiological and sequencing data, which in turn will adversely affect the global fight against the epidemic.
Writing in The Guardian, European virologist Jeffrey Barrett said that the recognition of Opmi kerong in a short period of time and the sharing of global research is an important achievement of global virus surveillance cooperation, and South Africa's work in it should be particularly commended.
It is not yet possible to determine the origin of the new variant, and it is undoubtedly a tragedy for the world to isolate the region where the mutation was first reported.
A collective complaint points to the West
"I felt punched in the face and kicked in the stomach," Ross Mari complained to the South African media in disappointment, "I'm about to collapse, I haven't seen my grandson in the UK for two years, and in September they were put on the no-sail list and now they can't go again.".
Those who want to go out can't go out, and those who want to come in can't come in.
In Paris, the Mirvie Todd family was changing their tickets and had to pay about $3,000 more to take another flight back to South Africa. "It's hard to say if you can't go, and the sudden cut off is a disaster." This is simply another form of colonialism, the developed countries of the West only know what is good for themselves, the typical double standard, the ghost knows whether those new viruses are coming from themselves? We are blind to such a good scientist and transparent information-sharing mechanism," Todd said angrily in an interview with South Africa's 24-Hour News Network.
Last week, South African President Ramaphosa stressed in a televised address that vaccine inequality not only costs the lives and livelihoods of countries without access to vaccines, but also threatens global efforts to overcome the epidemic.
The Omicron variant should be a wake-up call to the world not to allow vaccine inequality to continue.
Ramaphosa also appealed in this regard, "We are deeply disappointed by the decision of some countries to ban travel from southern African countries." There is no scientific basis for this and is a clear departure from the commitments made by many countries at the recent G-20 meeting in Rome, which had said that international travel would be restarted in a safe and orderly manner. ”
Peter, a 27-year-old South African youth who works at a large accounting firm in Johannesburg, was asked to stay at home for observation after returning from a business trip to Cape Town on a plane.
He told reporters, "Someone on our plane tested positive for COVID-19, but we're fine so far." As far as I know, the symptoms of the current cases of the new mutant virus are very mild, and I don't understand why the Western countries are so sensitive, but they are a little scared of me."
"This month is Omikron, next month may be another variant, if we don't have enough vaccinations, the world will never be safe," said Professor Leslie London of the South African People's Health Movement, saying that the only way to stop this situation from getting worse is to distribute vaccines fairly.
"However, there are some big countries that still politicize vaccines!" More than half a year has passed since the Chinese embassy in Nepal met with the Nepalese side several times to request donations of vaccines produced by the Chinese side and used urgently by the WHO, and that in September the government had issued a notice that Chinese vaccines were allowed to enter the Nigerian market.
But Western countries have tried everything to suppress China's vaccines, forcing Chinese vaccines to fail to land in Nigeria.
"Humanity has not passed this test, the new crown pneumonia epidemic still threatens us, and some countries have been undermining everyone's efforts", Karim, a famous virologist in South Africa, believes that there is "vaccine racism" in Western developed countries, "when the vaccination rate of those rich countries exceeds 80%, while most African countries are less than 20%, the victory over the epidemic is an empty word."
Lattaya, a 22-year-old young mum who is a live-in nanny, has not seen her children for almost a year.
Because South Africa has experienced three waves of outbreaks in the past year, increasingly cautious employers have not allowed her to contact her family because it is a slum and many people have not been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Rataya knew that Omicron might be better, and she was worried about returning home, but more worried about losing her job because she was the family's main source of income.
After the outbreak of the epidemic in Africa, the Chinese government provided a number of emergency medical supplies and vaccine donations to African countries.
Chinese hospitals have cooperated with 43 hospitals in 38 African countries, trained more than 20,000 health workers for Africa, and started the construction of a new headquarters building for the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention ahead of schedule.
So far, nearly 40 African countries have used COVID-19 vaccines from China, and some of them are in the process of joint production with China.
At the same time, research on the effectiveness of vaccines in China is underway in South Africa, where medical conditions are better.
On November 29, South Africa and China's China Coxing Company entered the second phase of the phase III trial on the vaccination of adolescents against Kexing, and a total of 270 South African adolescents entered the pilot group after two South African adolescents completed two doses in September this year.
Farati Sigvi, media manager of the South African partner, said, "This is a global trial, we will strictly test the safety, efficacy and side effects of the Chinese vaccine in strict accordance with international standards, and will also conduct a one-year follow-up visit to children."
A group of African friends are in dire need of help
"We feel fortunate that we have received strong support from the Chinese side, food, epidemic prevention materials, disinfection supplies, etc. It not only solves the problem of epidemic prevention, but also solves the problems of many people's lives. ”
Ugu, secretary general of the Abuja Journalists Association of Nigeria, told the Global Times that "since the outbreak, we have had 10 journalists sacrificed". In just over two months from the outbreak to May last year, seven journalists died due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"No way, it was determined by the nature of our profession, and we had to go out and do field interviews. But without the help of Chinese companies and Chinese, I believe our losses will be incalculable."
In Nigeria, COVID-19 was once known as the "disease of wealth". Especially in the early days of the pandemic, COVID-19 was only spreading among government officials or wealthy people.
"Because they have air conditioning everywhere and the temperature is cooler, it gives the virus a chance to spread," said Uzman, a citizen who had been suffering from covid-19, and then the epidemic spread to ordinary families. "But if you're prepared, like wearing a mask or washing your hands and disinfecting your hands often, the chance of infection is much smaller."
However, in the capital Abuja, except for some high-level government departments and hospitals that still follow the rules of wearing masks, few people wear masks in other places, such as shopping malls, supermarkets and other crowded places.
A Nepalese friend who was on a business trip to Asaba, the capital of the delta state in southern Nigeria, told reporters, "If you don't see it with your own eyes, it's hard to believe that none of the doctors and patients in the hospital are wearing masks!" ”。
Mr. Zheng, an overseas Chinese with business experience in many african countries, analyzed that many african people at the bottom are deeply influenced by local witch doctors, do not trust modern medicine, and believe that no disease injection will cause physical changes, which is one of the main reasons for the low vaccination rate in Africa.
Mr. Zheng originally had several Employees in Mozambique, but they ran back to their hometowns because they wanted to be vaccinated.
Zimbabwean miner Velrit told reporters that he was in the mining area with Chinese workers to get the Chinese vaccine, seeing so many Chinese have been beaten, and the Chinese medical team specially sent the vaccine from the capital Harare, without which there may be no chance.
According to incomplete statistics, about 20% of the people in Zimbabwe have completed two doses of vaccination, while more than 95% of the COVID-19 vaccines that Zimbabwe has received are Chinese vaccines, including those aided by the Chinese government and procured by the local government.
A similar demonstration effect is occurring in Namibia. Namibian media reported that while Namibians were still doubting the safety of the vaccine, Chinese had taken the lead in vaccinating.
Nangong Bei, executive director of the Ministry of Health of Namibia, excitedly said at the "Spring Seedling Action" Namibia vaccination site that we thank the Chinese government for sending vaccines, and also thank Chinese friends in Namibia for taking the lead in vaccination.
Chinese vaccinations serve as a good example and further awaken the awareness of the Namibian population to vaccination.
"In fact, it's not all because people don't pay attention to epidemic prevention. On the one hand, the national conditions are different, and our focus is on infectious diseases with higher mortality rates, such as malaria. On the other hand, it is true that economic strength does not allow it," said one medical expert helplessly.
According to official statistics, nigeria alone kills more than 90,000 people from malaria alone, and other infectious diseases, including typhoid fever and diarrhoea, also cause tens of thousands of deaths.
In the more than 1 year and 9 months since the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic to November 30 this year, the number of deaths in Nepal has been 2977, compared with infectious diseases such as malaria, Nigerians feel that it is indeed "not so serious".
Outside the bustling intersections or supermarkets in Abuja, many children are still selling masks to passers-by in the scorching sun. Iman, a 16-year-old boy from the northern state of Kaduna, said he could only sell a dozen masks a day and earned about 500 naira (about 6 yuan), "this income can not allow me to eat myself, compared to hunger and infection with the virus, I will undoubtedly choose to go out to work and get food."
"The national conditions of various countries are different, but judging from the results of previous FORUMs on China-Africa Cooperation, China has paid attention to the issues that most African countries are concerned about." Sidney, Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria for Industry, Trade and Investment, said, "In particular, the work plan presented at this meeting. I believe that with China's help, the African continent will be able to overcome difficulties and develop rapidly."
Source: Global Times | Zou Song Jiang Xuan