In the face of Omikron, what is the scientific basis for some regions to take more stringent measures to control the epidemic situation? Some people think that some epidemic prevention and control measures have affected normal production and life. What do you think of this? Liang Wannian, head of the expert group of the epidemic response and disposal leading group of the National Health Commission, recently received an exclusive interview with Xinhua news agency to respond to the focus issues. "China has the ability and conditions to realize dynamic clearing." Liang Wannian said, "we have unswervingly adhered to the general policy of 'dynamic zeroing' and ensured the safety of people's lives and economic and social development to the greatest extent." Cut off the transmission route of the epidemic as soon as possible Reporter: some people think that the symptoms after infection with Omicron are generally mild, and there is no need to carry out dynamic clearing. What do you think of this view? Liang Wannian: to measure whether a virus is serious or not, multiplying the transmission rate and pathogenicity is the most important indicator. At present, the transmission rate of Omicron is much higher than that of influenza. According to the data of some cities in China, the morbidity, especially the mortality, has also reached 7 to 8 times that of influenza. The repeated challenge of influenza is not particularly severe for the city of okron. China has a large number of elderly people. Coupled with a considerable number of children and people who cannot be vaccinated with contraindications, the vaccination rate has not yet formed a barrier enough to resist severe illness and death. If the epidemic is allowed to spread, there will be a large number of severe cases and deaths, which will "run" the country's medical resources, coupled with the possible large-scale infection of medical personnel - once a vicious circle is formed, it will be a great disaster. All the strategies and measures we are taking now are trying to avoid or mitigate the harm brought by COVID-19. Reporter: in response to the epidemic, some regions have taken relatively strict control measures. What is the scientific basis? Liang Wannian: to deal with infectious diseases, we have a "triangular model". The severity of the virus, the disposal capacity of the medical system and social and public health intervention measures constitute three "edges" respectively. In the past, some infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, also caused great harm. But by strengthening the construction of the medical system, we can effectively block the spread, and the two "edges" can be matched. Generally, there is no need to strengthen the third "edges" of social public health interventions. However, COVID-19's transmission speed is fast, its concealment is strong, and its incubation period is short. Our understanding of this new virus is too little. The existing medical system is not enough to completely resist it. Therefore, we must strengthen third "edges", that is, strengthen social public health intervention measures, so as to form a balance. This is also the scientific basis of dynamic zeroing. There is a process of gradual improvement to strengthen social and public health intervention measures. At present, in the epidemic prevention and control, we focus on the source of infection, route of transmission and susceptible people at the same time. The route of transmission is mainly through measures such as sealing, control and prevention to minimize the flow of people. In the future, if the vaccine can protect the susceptible population more fully, effective drugs can be used and supplied adequately, or there is a technology to find the source of infection more quickly and accurately, the requirements for reducing social mobility may be reduced, and the impact on economic and social development and normal production and life will be further reduced. But at present, some conditions are not met, so we need to find a balance point. Through strict management and control measures, we should cut off the way of epidemic transmission as soon as possible, which is an important part of effective measures against COVID-19. There is temperature, which makes the anti epidemic more powerful Reporter: the more people's livelihood is guaranteed, the more we can adhere to dynamic zeroing. What issues need special attention when balancing the relationship between strict prevention and control and ensuring people's livelihood? Liang Wannian: the recent anti epidemic process in some cities has brought a very profound feeling that anti epidemic should be a systematic project, which needs to consider three aspects at the same time: first, controlling the epidemic situation, second, ensuring the normal life of the people, and third, ensuring the necessary operation of economy and society. The three are indispensable and must be placed in an equally important position. For what? It is for the health of the people, for normal production and life and economic and social development. Epidemic prevention and control and normal production and life, economic and social development are not antagonistic, but complementary and dialectical unity. Measures for epidemic prevention and control should be strict and measures for ensuring people's livelihood should be warm. If people's livelihood security is more secure, the implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures will be more vigorous. Prevent the virus from causing greater harm to the wider population Reporter: this round of epidemic has many points, a wide range and frequent occurrences, affecting 30 provinces across the country. How to achieve dynamic clearing? Liang Wannian: it's very difficult to have no case in more than 1.4 billion people in the country at a certain time point in the future. But we don't have to worry too much. The core connotation of dynamic zeroing is to quickly detect the epidemic situation, quickly take a series of measures to block the continuous community transmission of the epidemic situation, and maximize the protection of people's health and life safety. It emphasizes that by putting out one epidemic after another, we can realize the dynamic zeroing of social aspects and finally overcome the epidemic. Among them, "dynamic" means that in the short term, although we can not guarantee that all individuals are not infected with COVID-19, they have the ability to quickly identify and contain the disease in a timely manner so as not to cause more harm to the wider population. "Clearing" has three levels of meaning, including "virus" clearing, "disease" clearing and "epidemic situation" clearing. In the context of global pandemic, we cannot clear "virus" and "disease". At the present stage, zeroing is aimed at the epidemic situation, that is, to ensure the Non-Proliferation of the epidemic situation, no continuous social communication, and no scale rebound, rather than the complete elimination of COVID-19. Recently, many places have summed up some experience in fighting against Omicron, and we are optimizing and improving relevant strategies and measures accordingly. One advantage of China's anti epidemic is that it has a great depth. If there is an epidemic in one place, we can mobilize multiple resources for support. We have the conditions and ability to overcome the epidemic. Reporter: the epidemic has entered its third year. What are the key points of prevention and control? Liang Wannian: in the future, we need to improve the following conditions: First, the susceptible population should establish certain immune protection. At present, about 90% of China's population has been vaccinated. We can do more to improve the vaccination rate of "vulnerable groups" such as the elderly. The two is to deepen the understanding of COVID-19 mutation. Omicron is not the last mutant, which is the consensus of the international scientific community. What will be the transmissibility and pathogenicity of the new mutant? We don't know yet. If COVID-19 becomes worse in the future, we need to take more stringent prevention and control measures. Third, make good preparations for medical resources, isolated beds, effective drugs, material guarantee and emergency mechanism. Nationwide, in particular, we should speed up the prevention and control preparations for special institutions and places such as nursing homes, welfare homes and psychiatric hospitals. perseverance prevails. If we make full preparations in all aspects, we will be able to finally overcome the epidemic. (Xinhua News Agency)