Posted in Health

Zhang Wenhong: New coronavirus has become the world’s resident virus

 2021年5月16日

On May 16, Zhang Wenhong, Director of Infection Department of Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, pointed out in a Weibo post that

  1. The new coronavirus (CCP virus) has not left on its own, but is distributed all over the world. As long as we relax the prevention and control measures a little, the epidemic will restart immediately, and the rate of transmission has not weakened at all compared to last year.
  2. In view of the current global epidemic, the new coronavirus has become a resident virus in the world, and we must be prepared for a long-term response.
  3. The global vaccination rate is very slow and uneven. Unvaccination is the current global norm, and even in countries with a very abundant supply of vaccines, vaccination rates are hardly at the level of herd immunity that would completely interrupt transmission.
  4. Although the mutation of the virus does not occur as fast as the influenza virus and does not completely escape the role of the vaccine, the possibility of the virus eventually mutating into an escaped strain is increasing because the vaccination rate is not fast enough.

Zhang Wenhong stressed that he hopes that the global widespread vaccination will be realized as soon as possible, and the maximum immunization will be completed before the virus achieves an effective escape mutation, providing a chance for global normalization. It is believed that after China enters the WHO’s emergency vaccination list, the global goal of universal vaccination will be achieved gradually in the future as the goal of vaccination in international developed countries is achieved.

It is believed that the world today can also eventually come out of the shadow of New Crown and shake hands with it. But for a virus that is less harmful than smallpox, human beings are not ready to have a big showdown with the virus.

In the future, with global wisdom, we will be able to control the New Guinea virus in a different way from smallpox through a global vaccination program. But the first countries and regions to complete vaccination will be the first to emerge from the shadow of the new crown, and the world will gradually open up.