Making the daily rounds, attending consultations, sharing the latest updates during expert discussions… Zhang Wenhong, head of the Shanghai COVID-19 medical expert team, has been tied up with work.

Though Shanghai has seen a declining number of infections in the city's Omicron outbreak, the treatment of severe cases poses the biggest challenge. 

"Omicron is indeed difficult to deal with. But by adopting a careful and calculated approach, we can at least strive to minimize the harm done. We believe that the world is one big family. Every obstacle is a stepping-stone to progress. Every effort exerted will bring us one step closer to ending this pandemic for good," Zhang, also director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases under the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), said at a subforum of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference from April 20 to 22 in Boao, Hainan Province.

The Chinese approach

China will stick to its dynamic zero-COVID-19 policy, officials of the National Health Commission (NHC) have repeated on multiple occasions.

The policy was first proposed in late 2021, at a time when China had already gained solid experience in COVID-19 combat. The nation intends to control and eliminate every incidence of infection, entailing swift response, mass testing, and large-scale vaccination. Specifically, this means that in the event of a new local resurgence, measures will be taken to promptly halt the spread of the virus. The idea is to break the chain of infection as quickly as possible and not risk things spiraling out of control.

"China is able to implement a dynamic zero-COVID-19 policy courtesy of its effective control measures, high vaccination rates, rapid nucleic acid testing capability, and the understanding and support of its population," Liang Wannian, head of the NHC's COVID-19 task force, said at a news conference in March.

While many outside its borders believe China's zero-COVID-19 strategy stands for "no infections nationwide," the policy actually involves stamping out any given flare-up in a relatively short time period so that it won't lead to further community spread—which can happen when the source of infection is unknown, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist with the China CDC, wrote in a social media post in April to clarify common misconceptions about the policy.

"So long as there is no community spread, it is acceptable for cases to occur in quarantine because these people are temporarily isolated from society. For example, an area may report 200-plus cases in a day, but if they all stem from quarantine facilities, this means there is no transmission at the community level—a prerequisite for achieving dynamic clearance," Wu said.

The policy does not necessarily come with citywide lockdowns because such measures are only applied when extensive community spread arises. Likewise, mass testing is not always mandated, as long as the outbreak is detected in the earliest stages and has a clear transmission chain that allows experts to trace all close contacts.

Prevention and control measures are not rigid; they are subject to change—in accordance with the local situation. Their timely adoption can help prevent a severe economic impact, whereas if an outbreak were to gain momentum, leading to mass testing and lockdown measures, then the economy would certainly suffer. "Generally speaking, the policy safeguards overall economic development," Wu added.

Senior residents and people with underlying health conditions are at a higher risk of being infected with, or even dying from, COVID-19; their health and safety are primary concerns, Wang Yu, chairperson of the Chinese Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control, said at a BFA subforum.

"But the younger generations and other less vulnerable groups object to quarantines and stay-at-home policies. So, basically, we have a mismatch on our hands," Wang explained, adding that the key to addressing the "discrepancy," and making sure those more vulnerable are protected, is getting vaccinated. 

The number of people aged 60 and above having received a COVID-19 vaccine exceeded 225 million as of April 18, with 214 million of these fully vaccinated following their second dose in the standard two-dose immunization series. These numbers account for more than 85 and 81 percent of the senior population, respectively, said the NHC.

But this immunization rate is still below the average of other age groups. Many seniors apparently still worry they are more likely to suffer adverse side effects from the vaccination; others just deem it unnecessary.

"Young people should help the government motivate senior citizens to get vaccinated. As long as the latter are safe, the public is safe, and normal social activity can resume… This is what we call a community of shared health, and interests, for all," Wang noted.

A global hub

In addition to sharing China's COVID-19 policies and practices, BFA participants also called for international cooperation against the pandemic.

The global health community needs innovation and reform, as well as intensified coordination and upgraded regional mechanisms, Surakiart Sathirathai, former deputy prime minister of Thailand and member of the BFA board of directors, said at the same subforum. 

"I remember that in the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of increasing international cooperation, each country adopted its own policies and restrictions… In April 2020, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China decided to convene and, over the course of seven days, exchanged information as well as adopted similar pandemic response measures. This type of collaboration helped us cope with the crisis," Sathirathai added. He further believed the World Health Organization (WHO) should play a role in bringing countries together for dialogue and discussion, and never politicize its work.

Malta's Health Minister Chris Fearne echoed Sathirathai by explaining how the Council of the European Union has been pushing for a global deal aimed at pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. This was the sentiment driving the negotiations on new rules for dealing with future pandemics.

Providing people with correct and up-to-date information, too, is of the utmost importance. Social media, in particular, often allows misinformation to thrive, muddling the informational waters. "That makes it very difficult for any government to get the population on board with its COVID-19 response, especially when managing new virus variants," Sathirathai added.

Mohamed Hassany, the Public Health Assistant to the Egyptian Minister of Health, at another subforum hailed China and Egypt as good examples of global teamwork in COVID-19 combat. For instance, Egypt was one of the first countries to receive vaccines from Chinese pharma giant Sinopharm. In April 2021, the Egyptian Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines and Sinovac, another Chinese biopharmaceutical company, signed an agreement to produce Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines in the North African country.

"We are seeking more cooperation across more fields, including medicine, vaccine production, and anti-pandemic measures. I think both countries can greatly benefit from this," Hassany concluded.

Like Zhang already hinted, China and the world may still have some COVID-19 obstacles to overcome, but with pain, comes progress.

(Reporting from Boao, Hainan)

(Print Edition Title: Growing Pains)

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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