Recently, local clusters of epidemics have occurred successively in Xi'an, Shaanxi and Beijing. Genetic sequencing of specimens from infected people in both places showed that the virus belongs to the BA.5.2 branch of the Omicron variant.
According to reports, BA.4 and BA.5 have now become the main epidemic strains in South Africa, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Israel and other countries. France, the Netherlands , the United States and other countries have also seen an increase in BA.4 and BA.5 infections. Case. Some experts predict that the world may face a new wave of epidemics caused by BA.4 or BA.5 this summer.
What is the current epidemic situation in Beijing and Xi'an? Compared with previous mutant strains, what are the new characteristics of the Omicron BA.5 mutant strain? Focusing on these hot issues that readers are concerned about, Beijing Daily (ID: Beijing_Daily) latest review -
12 cases of infection in Beijing involving four districts
It is initially believed that the epidemic is generally controllable
On July 4, screening in Yanqing District, Beijing A person with a positive nucleic acid test was found. He was a person who returned to Beijing after the entry quarantine period. The person's residence was a commune (hotel) at the foot of the Great Wall, Badaling Town, Yanqing District. The result of the nucleic acid test was positive on July 4, and he was diagnosed that day. Confirmed cases. On the same day, two colleagues of the case were also diagnosed.
As of 24:00 on July 6, Beijing has reported a total of 12 local cases of new coronavirus infection, involving Yanqing (8 cases), Shunyi (2 cases), Tongzhou (1 case), Changping (1 case ) four districts, 10 of whom are staff of the above-mentioned hotels.
On July 6, the 379th press conference on the prevention and control of the new coronavirus pneumonia epidemic in Beijing was announced. The Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention laboratory conducted genetic sequencing on the specimens of infected persons 1 to 3 reported on July 5. The results showed that the viruses all belonged to the BA.5.2 branch of the Omicron mutant strain.
The Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that it is initially considered that this epidemic is a local cluster epidemic caused by imported cases. As of now, the chain of transmission of this epidemic is clear and its source is clear. Based on the current development trend of the epidemic, it is initially believed that this epidemic is generally controllable. (Related news: +3 local infections in Beijing, involving two districts! The transmission chain of this round of epidemic is clear, virus gene sequencing results - )
Xi'an reported 33 cases of local infections in 5 days
Multiple cases are related to an art museum
7 On March 2, a positive infection was found in Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province during nucleic acid screening of key populations, and he was immediately diagnosed as a confirmed case. As of 24:00 on July 6, Xi'an has reported a total of 33 local infections in this round of epidemic, including 14 confirmed cases and 219 asymptomatic infections.
html It was reported at the press conference on the prevention and control of the new coronavirus epidemic in Xi'an held on July 5 that most of the nucleic acid-positive infections currently found in Xi'an's current epidemic are related to the Shaanxi Chaohui Renewable Resources Trading and Distribution Market (Dafengshang Recycling Art Museum) Relatedly, most of the discovered cases are waste recycling workers. The
gene sequencing results showed that the strains infected by the positive infections were all the BA.5.2 branch of the Omicron variant. The virus came from abroad, but the source is still unclear. The current epidemic situation in Xi'an is severe and complex, and it cannot be ruled out that new transmission chains will emerge in the future, causing a high risk of continued transmission in the community. (Related news: 112+241, in Anhui, Jiangsu and other places! A total of 29 people have been infected in Xi'an, and the strain has new characteristics - )
According to news released by Xi'an, on July 6, the Xi'an Epidemic Prevention and Control Headquarters held a Video scheduling meetings were conducted to analyze and judge the epidemic prevention and control situation, and arrange and deploy nucleic acid screening, screening of key groups, and quarantine hotel management and control. The meeting pointed out that it is necessary to comprehensively investigate employees in key industries such as renewable resource trading and distribution markets, thoroughly find out the bottom line, strengthen industry supervision, effectively eliminate hidden risks, and firmly grasp the initiative in epidemic prevention and control.
WHO : BA.4 and BA.5 mutant strains
become the main global strains
The genetic sequence of the Omicron variant BA.5 was first uploaded on March 15, 2022, from South Africa on February 25 Nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal swabs collected from a patient.
According to WHO news, as of June 19, the global new coronavirus gene sequencing samples obtained by WHO show that the BA.4 and BA.5 mutant strains together account for 55% of all samples, of which BA. .5 accounts for 43% and BA.4 accounts for 12%. The two have replaced the previous BA.2 as the main strains in the world.
The WHO said that the proportion of BA.4 and BA.5 mutant strains is still rising. The rise in both is linked to the fact that they contain mutations that enhance their infectivity. Early indications are that these mutations increase the strain's ability to escape immunity, meaning people who have been infected are more likely to be reinfected.
According to the .4 and BA.5 subtypes, compared with only 1% in early May.
" U.S. News & World Report " reported on the 5th of this month that in the past month and a half, the United States has averaged about 100,000 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 every day. However, given the highly contagious and incubation period of the BA.4 and BA.5 subtypes, It is short-lived, spreads quickly, and has a high proportion of asymptomatic infections. Many people believe that the real number may be much higher than this.
Chinese Disease Control:
China’s foreign defense import pressure is increasing
An English weekly report published in Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention introduced that in May this year, China discovered the first case of the new coronavirus Omicron variant imported from abroad. BA.5 infected persons.
html On April 29, a 37-year-old Chinese male passenger tested positive for nucleic acid during medical observation and was diagnosed as a mild case of COVID-19. The case departed from Uganda on April 25, transferred to Amsterdam on the 26th, and transferred to Seoul, South Korea on the 27th, arriving at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on the same day. On May 13, the nasopharyngeal swab of the case The sample (collected on April 29) underwent genome sequencing, and the results showed that the patient was infected with the new coronavirus Omicron BA.5 variant.
Beijing Daily (ID: Beijing_Daily) noted that on June 28, at a press conference held at the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council , Lei Zhenglong, deputy director of the National Health Commission’s Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention and first-level inspector, said that a high degree of Be alert to the overseas imported transmission of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, because BA.4 and BA.5 have recently been found in imported overseas cases, and there are signs of increasing numbers.
Wang Wenling, a researcher at the Institute of Viral Diseases of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that the latest analysis results of the Global Viral Gene Sharing Database (GISAID) show that the top three Omicron subclades are BA.5, BA.2 and BA.4. , and the proportion of BA.5 has shown a rapid upward trend recently. Some experts predict that the world may face a new wave of epidemics caused by BA.4 or BA.5 this summer.
"Judging from the existing preliminary research results, the transmissibility and immune evasion ability of the new coronavirus Omicron mutant strains BA.4 and BA.5 are slightly enhanced, and the difficulty of prevention and control will increase. China's foreign defense import The pressure is increasing," Wang Wenling said.
According to the latest news from Xinhua News Agency, the relevant person in charge of the National Health Commission’s Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention stated that they are paying close attention to the epidemic trends of BA.4 and BA.5 in relevant countries, promptly following the global research progress on new mutant strains, and making timely assessments and judgments. , guide all localities to implement the requirements of the "Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Prevention and Control Plan (Ninth Edition)" and scientifically and accurately prevent and control the epidemic of the Omicron variant strain.
Source Beijing Daily WeChat public account | Reporter Su Yue
Editor: Su Yue
Process editor Ma Xiaoshuang
