Why does WHO use these three words to evaluate China's epidemic prevention and control?

Source: Medical Network

"We want to show the world that doing it like China can save lives." Bruce Elwo, the foreign leader of the China-WHO Joint Expert Team on New Coronavirus Pneumonia and Senior Advisor to the Director-General of the World Health Organization Germany, said at a press conference in Beijing after a field trip to China on the 9th.

Since the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia outbreak, China ’s preventive measures have been recognized internationally. The joint expert inspection team on the 24th evaluated the epidemic prevention and control in China with the three keywords of "grand, flexible and positive".

Prosperity: Avoid tens of thousands of cases with the actions of the whole government and the whole society

On the 23rd, senior Chinese officials judged the epidemic of the new crown pneumonia: "It is a major public health emergency with the fastest spread, the widest range of infections, and the most difficult prevention and control in China since the founding of New China."

All 34 provinces have confirmed cases, and more than 70,000 confirmed cases have been reported nationwide. Liang Wannian, the Chinese leader of the joint expert inspection team and the expert group leader of the National Health and Health Commission's New Crown Pneumonia Epidemic Disposal frankly stated that the prevention and control of the new crown pneumonia epidemic can be described in terms of controlling the source of infection, cutting off the transmission route, and protecting vulnerable populations "The hardest in history."

However, the World Health Organization stressed on the 24th that the new crown pneumonia epidemic has not constituted a "pandemic", that is, the virus has not seen uncontrolled spread globally. Based on this, several experts pointed out that the efforts made by the China National Defense Epidemic have changed the epidemic trajectory of the new crown virus.

China's ability to prevent epidemics nationwide has impressed Bruce Elward in particular. Among them are decisive measures such as Wuhan's "closing the city" and the support of provinces other than Hubei, which he described as "real unity." The joint expert inspection team assessed that it was precisely because China adopted the method of the whole government and the whole society that it had avoided at least tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of cases.

Feng Zijian, deputy director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an interview with a reporter from China News Agency on the 25th that in order to fight the epidemic prevention and control fight, we have adopted such powerful measures across the country. Avoidance also affected socio-economic operations, "the Chinese people paid a huge price."

"China's efforts in the darkest moment have been seen by the international community." Zhang Wenhong, the leader of the Shanghai New Crown Pneumonia Clinical Rescue Expert Group, also wrote that there is still a need to coordinate the strength of all parties in the country to form a strong joint force of joint prevention and control.

Flexibility: Understanding the "measures to local conditions" of China ’s national defense epidemic from two levels

Bruce Elward bluntly stated that if caught in the qualitative thinking of either SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) or influenza, there would be no way to respond to the epidemic as flexibly as China. He also said that during the inspection, Liang Wannian often told him that "the Chinese method is a method adapted to local conditions and a specific analysis method for specific problems." Obviously, "closing the city" is only one of the Hubei way and even the Chinese way.

Feng Zijian believes that we can understand the "flexibility" of China's national defense epidemic from two levels.

First, as people's understanding of the new crown virus and new crown pneumonia continues to deepen, China adjusts its prevention and control strategies at any time. The diagnosis and treatment plan issued by the Chinese National Health and Health Committee was updated to the sixth edition, and the prevention and control plan was updated to the fifth edition, during which all aspects such as case definition, treatment method, and discharge standards were revised. Officials have also issued temporary guidelines on epidemic prevention for different groups of people and different places. The word "temporary" means that they can be modified at any time.

Secondly, in the current situation of lack of vaccines and drugs, China is not helpless, but flexible to respond, "Use what you have first, and use it quickly."

For example, Zhang Wenhong, when summarizing the "Shanghai Plan", pointed out that as a city most likely to have large-scale outbreaks and spreads, Shanghai has invested huge resources and manpower for scientific screening and rapid diagnosis. At the same time, the government has implemented many effective measures to avoid the secondary epidemic peak caused by the imaginary "return to work".

Liang Wannian said that China has adopted non-drug interventions such as quarantine, medical observation, reduction of exposure, and self-protection, which have changed the course of disease transmission. This is one of China's greatest achievements in tackling the epidemic, and it is particularly recommended to other countries in the inspection report.

Positive: Invest in epidemic prevention at the risk of being accused of "overreaction"

The third word given by Bruce Elward is "aggressive." In explaining this, Feng Zijian frankly stated that he must see both the positive side and the fact that China can make full use of the existing anti-epidemic measures, especially from the central to the grassroots level. It is also necessary to see the controversial side, that is, whether the outside world exists "Over-prevention" concerns. It is precisely at the risk of being accused of "overreacting" that China is more actively involved in epidemic prevention.

Regarding China's "overreaction", Professor Gao Benen of the School of Public Health of the University of Hong Kong said in a recent interview that there is evidence that coronavirus infection is much more serious than influenza virus infection. "Therefore, we should work hard to control the spread of the virus."

The joint expert inspection team also noted that China is considering the restoration of normal economic and social order while the number of newly reported confirmed cases declines. Bruce Elward reiterated that measures taken by any country beyond the recommendations of the International Health Regulations should be re-evaluated, "because China's risks are declining and China's contribution to the world is increasing ".

"We deserve such praise." Jiang Min, director of the Chinese Medicine Department at Beijing Shijitan Hospital, said in an interview with our reporter that this reflects the joint efforts of many medical workers and various departments.

The interviewed experts also emphasized that they cannot succeed without success. Facing the next epidemic prevention, China maintains the confidence to win, and China will bring confidence to all countries.