The "May Day" holiday is approaching, the popularity of tourism travel is "skyrocketing", tickets for some routes are sold out in an instant, and it is difficult to find a room for accommodation in hot spots. A number of travel forecast data show that this year will hit a new high during the May Day holiday in recent years.
As the first Golden Week after the smooth turn of epidemic prevention and control, people can't wait to plan "poetry and distance". However, the recent circulation of the topic of "Eryang" has caused many people to worry. According to the authoritative information at the press conference of the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council on the 26th, the reporter sorted out five key judgments and answered your concerns about "May Day" travel.
Judgment 1: The positive of "small increase" is mainly concentrated in three groups of people, such as those who are not infected
The scene of the press conference of the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council held on April 26. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Dong Ruifeng
National fever clinic surveillance data show that the overall epidemic situation in the country is in a low-level fluctuation state, among which, in early April, the epidemic fell to the lowest level since December 2022, and after entering mid-April, the number of positive people and the proportion of positive people in a single day showed a slight upward trend.
Are these positive people who "rise slightly" belong to "two yang"? Experts judged that from the perspective of global new crown virus infection and epidemic wave epidemic law, with the passage of time and the gradual reduction of the level of immune protection of some people in the mainland, the epidemic situation in some areas has begun to rise slowly recently, and the infected people are mainly concentrated in uninfected people, people whose immunity level has declined and those who have immune deficiencies.
Judgment 2: There is less likely to have a second wave of new crown infection peaks
The latest judgment of the National Bureau of Disease Control is that the recent national epidemic has been sporadic and the possibility of a large-scale epidemic in the short term is small.
On April 12, in the Huizhou Ancient City Scenic Area in Xiao County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, tourists visited the Xu Guo Memorial Arch. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ma Ning
This judgment will help alleviate everyone's travel anxiety, but it also reminds all localities to coordinate epidemic prevention and control and ensure the normal travel demand during the "May Day" holiday, and jointly safeguard the hard-won epidemic prevention and control achievements.
For example, transportation departments and units can increase or open entry channels and security check channels in a timely manner, and guide passengers to enter the station and take transportation in an orderly manner.
Passenger terminals, shopping malls, supermarkets, indoor venues of tourist attractions, etc. should increase ventilation and ventilation, appropriately increase the frequency of disinfection of public supplies and facilities, and strengthen the health monitoring and management of practitioners.
Schools, old-age institutions, social welfare institutions and other key institutions should promptly arrange diagnosis and treatment and testing for persons with fever, cough, sore throat and other symptoms to prevent cluster outbreaks in these institutions.
Judgment 3: No new variants were found to increase the risk of severe disease and death
Mainland new coronavirus variant surveillance data show that overall, local cases are still dominated by BA.5.2 and BF.7 and their subclades. From the dynamic point of view, XBB and subbranches are growing rapidly. Recently, XBB variant has become overwhelmingly dominant among imported cases, and the proportion of XBB variant in local cases has increased significantly. As of 22 April, 57 XBB.1.16 and its subclades have been detected in autochthonous cases.
WHO believes that current evidence indicates that the global circulating risk of XBB.1.16 is lower than that of XBB.1.5 and other circulating variants.
Xinhua News Agency issued by Lu Zhe
Chen Cao, a researcher at the Institute of Virology of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that there have been no reports of increased hospital admissions and deaths due to infection with XBB.1.16, and no increase in disease severity has been reported compared to other Omicron subclades. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention will closely monitor and analyze the trend of future changes.
The World Health Organization has previously provided information that the symptoms after infection with XBB are similar to those of other new coronavirus strains, and no difference in disease severity after infection with XBB has been found.
Judgment 4: The level of influenza activity is declining
According to national influenza surveillance data, the dominant strains of this round of influenza epidemic are A(H1N1) and A(H3N2) subtypes, with A(H1N1) subtypes as the main ones.
Overall, influenza activity levels increased in early February this year, with a clear upward trend at the end of February, peaking in mid-March, followed by an inflection point. The inflection point in the northern provinces is in mid-March, and the inflection point in the southern provinces is in late March and early April. At present, influenza activity in all provinces of the country is showing a downward trend.
Xinhua News Agency issued by Wang Peng
Experts suggest that during travel, you should still pay attention to personal protection, especially pay attention to hand hygiene, frequent ventilation, regular work and rest, and maintain a good attitude. Existing specific anti-influenza virus drugs are effective against the current circulating strains, and can also be carried in appropriate amounts when traveling. In response to seasonal influenza, the public is advised to receive influenza vaccination in a timely manner.
Judgment 5: There are special protection arrangements for medical treatment during holidays
Guo Yanhong, director of the Department of Medical Emergency Situations of the National Health Commission, said that all localities have made special arrangements for medical treatment on holidays, especially for the treatment of acute and critical diseases.
Health administrative departments and medical institutions at all levels should do a good job of duty and duty during holidays, arrange relevant medical work, and allocate sufficient and strong medical forces, especially in key departments such as emergency departments of medical institutions, strengthen medical staffing, especially to ensure that emergency departments are open 24 hours a day.
On April 25, at Dalian Lushun West Station, the staff of China Railway Bohai Ferry Company registered passengers under the real-name system. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Long Lei
Since January 8 this year, the mainland has officially implemented the "Class B tube" for new coronavirus infection, and the epidemic prevention and control team of the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council recently issued the "Guidelines for the Prevention of Novel Coronavirus Infection by the Public to Wear Masks (April 2023 Edition)" to guide the public to wear masks scientifically.
According to the guidelines, masks may not be worn in situations or scenarios where the risk of infection is low, the risk of infection is effectively prevented, the risk of infection is low, and the wearing of masks may have a certain impact on work, life and study. For example, in outdoor places such as open-air squares, parks, or when people are exercising.
However, the Ministry of Transport recommends that the general public wear masks and do hand hygiene in a timely manner when entering crowded public places such as traffic stations and highway service areas during travel. (Reporter Bai Jiali)