Interviewed expert: Tan Xiaodong, professor of the School of Public Health, Wuhan University
Global Times health client reporter Dong Changxi
On May 5, 2023, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), announced at a press conference in Geneva that the pandemic would no longer be classified as a global public health emergency. "The pandemic has been on a downward trend for more than a year, due to increased population immunity due to vaccinations and natural infections, a decline in mortality, and a reduction in pressure on the health care system. This trend has allowed most countries to return to pre-Covid life. Therefore, it is with great hope that I declare that COVID will no longer be a global public health emergency. Tedros said.
What are the implications of WHO's decision? Tan Xiaodong, a professor at the School of Public Health of Wuhan University, said in an interview with the "Global Times Health Client" that the most significant should be in transnational transportation, trade and travel.
On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization declared the pandemic a "public health emergency of international concern". This is the WHO's highest level of alert, which has only been declared a few times since the implementation of the new IHR in 2007, including influenza A(H1N1) outbreaks, MERS-MERS, Ebola, Zika outbreaks, etc.
Tan Xiaodong said that the epidemic research and judgment standards generally refer to the six-level classification standard of influenza pandemics: grade 1~3, influential inter-animal influenza, but no or only a few people are infected; Grade 4, influenza has been shown to be human-to-human and outbreaks at the community level; Category 5, where the same type of influenza virus causes human-to-human transmission in at least two countries in the same region, is an important signal that an influenza pandemic is "approaching"; Grade 6, human-to-human transmission of the same type of influenza virus occurs in two or more regions, indicating that the virus is spreading globally and constitutes a "pandemic".
Tan Xiaodong said that the WHO announced the lifting of the global state of emergency, and some restrictions on cross-border transportation, trade and travel by countries will be further reduced or even eliminated. The mainland's international exchanges, including trade, tourism, and academic exchanges, are expected to reduce the inconvenience previously caused by some epidemic prevention and control measures.
Liang Wannian, head of the expert group of the National Health Commission's Leading Group for Epidemic Response and Handling, said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency, "Based on the current factors, a relatively balanced state has been achieved between human resistance and the virus, which has met the basic requirements of the International Health Regulations on ending 'public health emergencies of international concern'." Of course, ending the 'public health emergency of international concern' does not mean that the epidemic harm is completely gone, but it shows that with the current human capacity, this harm can be effectively controlled. ”
Liang Wannian believes that from the current epidemic situation, the number of new coronavirus infections, hospitalizations, ICU hospitalizations, and deaths reported globally are all in a state of continuous decline; Although the new coronavirus continues to mutate, the harm of the variant to human health has not changed much; Globally, a relatively good population immunity barrier has been established through natural infection and vaccination of the population. According to the current monitoring, the new coronavirus subtypes in the mainland have gradually converged with the internationally circulating virus subtypes, which are mainly XBB, and the severity does not cause pressure on medical treatment.
While lifting the global emergency, WHO also issued an appeal: "The worst thing any country can do now is to use this news as a reason to let their guard down, to lift established systems, or to inform people that there is no need to worry about the coronavirus." ”
Tan Xiaodong said that even if the global state of emergency ends the new crown, it does not mean that the mainland will let the new crown epidemic go. As long as the harm of the epidemic still exists, we will continue to do a good job in relevant prevention and control work, continue to work closely with countries around the world, and jointly take more targeted measures to protect the health of the people.
Liang Wannian said: At present, the mainland needs to continue to adhere to several aspects of work. First, adhere to effective monitoring of the mutation of the new coronavirus and the occurrence and development of the epidemic, while making up for shortcomings, strengths and weaknesses, and constantly improve the public health system. The second is to continue to strengthen vaccination for some high-risk groups and key groups. The third is to continue to strengthen the ability of clinical treatment, especially the treatment of severe diseases. The fourth is to call on everyone to maintain some good hygiene habits that have been developed.
People should also continue to learn more about the coronavirus. Tan Xiaodong said that from the perspective of infectious diseases, people have only discovered the new crown virus for more than 3 years, and their understanding of it is far from thorough, and in the future, some professional institutions should continue to strengthen research on the new crown virus, and the general public should also correctly understand the new crown epidemic.
"Judging from the May Day holiday just past, mainland people still have two mentalities about the new crown epidemic, one is not caring and completely relaxing their vigilance; One is excessive worry, anxious about any wind and grass. In fact, this is not a scientific understanding. ”
Tan Xiaodong finally reminded that for ordinary families, in addition to continuing to do a good job in daily protection, they should still do some necessary countermeasures, such as families bringing some common medicines. In addition, special protection for two types of key risk groups should be done, including people over 70 years old and immunodeficient people who have not yet been infected. ▲
Responsible editor: Jia Nan
Editor-in-chief: Zhang Jin