China's renowned respiratory disease expert Zhong Nanshan on Monday said measurements show that about 85% of China's people have been infected with COVID-19, which amounts to 1.1 billion to 1.2 billion people.
"The mainstream COVID-19 currently spreading in Guangzhou is XBB1.9.1. According to the data of Guangzhou’s fever clinics, 20%~25% of the fever patients tested are infected with COVID-19,” Zhong Nanshan noted at the launch ceremony of the post-marketing clinical study of Leritrelvir Tablets, a new drug for treating COVID-19 infection.
(Photo: Nanfang Plus)
He Qinghua, an official with the National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control, said during a news conference on April 26 that in April, the domestic epidemic hit its lowest level since December. “However, since the middle of April, the daily number of new positive cases and their proportion in fever clinic visits have been rising a bit.”
Zhong Nanshan said that according to relevant laboratory studies and real-world studies in Singapore and other places, the antibodies produced after the COVID-19 infection can protect the human body within 4-6 months. But if it is faced with variant XBB, its protection may be weakened. He furthered, “Since December, it seems that the time has now arrived.”
(Photo: Nanfang Plus)
He also revealed that in the next step, on the one hand, it is necessary to develop vaccines that can cover the XBB variant strain, including mRNA vaccines and recombinant protein vaccines, which are mainly aimed at some special groups, such as the elderly who have low immunity or have other serious underlying diseases. “On the other hand, once infected with COVID-19, timely drug treatment should be given, which can greatly reduce the mortality rate,” he said.
Author | Hannah
Editor | Wing, Olivia, Will, Jerry
(With input from China Daily)
