Since the relaxation of new crown prevention and control policies, there have been more and more problems, but the key to solving them is to put them on the table. Now let’s take a look at the answers to the following ten questions. Can they relieve your doubts?
Question 1: Is the new crown still harmful?
According to Zhong Nanshan, before the emergence of the Omicron strain , the cumulative number of people infected with the new crown in my country was about 100,000, and the case fatality rate (deaths/number of confirmed cases) was 4.65%. After Omicron entered China, as of December 6, 2022, the cumulative number of confirmed cases nationwide was approximately 250,000, the cumulative number of infections was nearly 1.7 million, and the case fatality rate (deaths/number of confirmed cases) was 0.24%. 0.24% includes early data, and has recently been close to 0.1%.
Even if the case fatality rate is 0.1%, it is equivalent to 100,000 deaths among 100 million people diagnosed.
No matter what, the strict containment of the epidemic for three years has successfully protected people's lives from the epidemic, and now it is time for the whole people to fight against the epidemic.
Although COVID-19 is still harmful, it is no longer something to be afraid of.
Question 2: How many people have been infected so far?
According to data from the National Health Commission on December 22, from 0-24:00 on December 21, 13 provinces and cities across the country and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps reported 3,030 new confirmed cases.
It’s just that everyone’s relatives and friends are now positive for COVID-19, but these -positive patients are basically isolated at home and have not been reported. Therefore, the number of real infected people in the country should far exceed the data released by the National Health Commission.
But Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , said that the infection rate this winter is between 10% and 30%, which means that about 144 million to 432 million people will be infected.
If Zhong Nanshan’s case fatality rate of 0.1% is used, the number of deaths due to the new crown is probably between 144,000 and 432,000.
No matter how you calculate it, the number of deaths from COVID-19 in our country is significantly lower than the number of deaths in Western developed countries. This is a victory in itself.
Question 3: How effective is the vaccine ?
On December 22, The Paper reported that Fosun Pharma had supplied 11,500 doses of Forbitac mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to Beijing, and is expected to provide corresponding vaccination services to German citizens resident in China in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang and Chengdu in the future.
In other words, foreign citizens resident in China have begun to receive the Fubitai mRNA vaccine, and Chinese citizens are currently not able to receive it.
In fact, China already has dozens of domestically produced vaccines. Although there is a high chance of being infected with COVID-19 after vaccination, the important thing is that it can significantly reduce the mortality and severe disease rates. In this sense, no matter which vaccine is vaccinated, it is the right choice.
Furthermore, China has a large population, and vaccines are currently being administered to the public free of charge. There is no practical significance in discussing which vaccine is more effective. The key is to get high-risk groups vaccinated as soon as possible to reduce the fatality rate and severe disease rate.
Question 4: Why can’t the supply of drugs and masks meet demand?
It is no exaggeration to say that the current shortage of antipyretics is almost exactly the same as the shortage of masks in early 2020. Provincial governments provided them to municipal first-level pharmacies in batches, and people still face many difficulties in purchasing medicines.
For example, Weifang City has provided 690,000 tablets of ibuprofen antipyretic medicine allocated by the province for pharmacies since December 23.
However, before the epidemic policy was relaxed, almost all antipyretic drugs were under control. There was no publicity that families needed to stockpile antipyretic drugs, which led to a further shortage of antipyretic drugs. However, antipyretic drugs are obviously necessary to fight the new crown epidemic. Why not reserve mass production in advance to prepare for relaxing the policy?
The same is true for the supply of N95 masks. In early 2020, the country quickly established the production of a large number of ordinary protective masks, but obviously N95 masks are more effective. With the epidemic under effective control in the past two years, why not promote the manufacturing upgrade of masks and shift to N95 production?
Although there are many doubts, based on the experience of 2020, I believe that the government can solve the problem in the short term by organizing large-scale production of enterprises. The panic caused by the shortage of antipyretics and N95 masks is unnecessary.
Question 5: What should you do if you are infected with COVID-19?
Various methods are emerging one after another after being infected with the new coronavirus. It seems that everyone has become an expert in treating the new coronavirus overnight, but are these methods effective? Or is there no need for so many methods at all?
No matter what, everyone’s symptoms and physical condition are different. As long as it is not severe, don’t panic. Most of the infected people around us have told us through experience that no matter what method is used, the body can recover in up to 7 days. Just treat the new coronavirus calmly.
Question 6: How to take medicine after being infected with COVID-19?
As we all know, there is currently no completely effective drug against COVID-19, and most people can recover on their own without medication after infection. Taking antipyretics and drinking plenty of water can relieve symptoms.
And Is Lianhua Qingwen an effective drug for treating COVID-19? This question has been debated for a long time, and everyone has an answer.
But no matter what, you should not use drugs indiscriminately after infection, let alone all drugs at the same time. After all, these drugs are not completely effective against the new coronavirus. Improving one's own immunity is the best way.
Question 7: What impact will being infected with COVID-19 have on work and life?
At present, being infected with the new coronavirus has indeed had a certain impact on work and life. Many people are unable to go to work normally, and a very small number of people are also facing the problem of drug shortage. In some families, there are serious consequences due to the basic diseases of the elderly.
But from another perspective, after 10% to 30% of people were infected this winter, and more and more people recovered quickly due to minor symptoms, the psychological pressure of the people will be greatly relieved.
What’s more important is that the chance of reinfection after being infected with COVID-19 and the fatality and severity rate will be further significantly reduced. Then after this winter, COVID-19 will coexist in work and life, and will be no different from ordinary influenza, with minimal impact.
Question 8: Will there be more variants of COVID-19?
According to a report from the National Health Commission, my country has monitored the importation of more than 130 sub-branches of Omicronium in the past three months, but now the transmission rates and hazards of different sub-branches are roughly the same.
There is no doubt that the more people are infected, the more variants of virus will increase. After reaching a certain number, the virus will significantly reduce its fatality rate and achieve coexistence with humans.
Before that, it is unknown how many times the new coronavirus will need to mutate, and what kind of mutations will emerge. However, it is a high probability that the harm will become less severe.
Question 9: What attitude should we have towards the new crown epidemic?
Recently, Guo Songmin called Hu Xijin sophistry regarding the epidemic, and even used the word "shameless".
No matter what, although there are many doubts now, and there are indeed many problems in prevention and control, the solution to the problem should be to mobilize all forces to solve the problem, rather than rationalizing the problem, let alone avoiding these problems.
The public should have the right to know and should know the answers to all questions about the new crown virus. Everyone also hopes that the prevention and control work can be done better.
But we must not go from one extreme to the other. There should be no conflict between epidemic prevention and control and enjoying a good life.
In any case, all sectors of society should face the impact of this epidemic together instead of making cynicism.
Question 10: When will the epidemic end?
Now that the epidemic prevention and control has entered a new stage, the first step of relaxing the policy will inevitably have a severe impact on the epidemic, but then it will enter normalized management of the epidemic. No matter how many problems and questions arise from the current COVID-19, I believe that these problems will gradually be solved as time goes by.
Looking to the future, the virus will never disappear. There is only a question of whether the prevention and control measures are light or severe. In this sense, with the continuous reduction of the fatality rate and severe disease rate of the new coronavirus, the previous strict epidemic prevention and control policies have been completely ended. Now as long as the epidemic period is successfully passed, a spring full of vitality will usher in.
