Xinhua Review： Resolutely Consolidate the Hard-won Great Achievements of the War ＂Epidemic＂
Recently, the national epidemic situation has continued to maintain a stable trend. According to the latest data released by China CDC, the number of Covid-19-infected people in hospitals nationwide reached a peak of 1.625 million on January 5, and then continued to decline, and it dropped to 14,500 on February 23, a decrease of 99.1% compared with the peak.
"A major and decisive victory has been achieved in epidemic prevention and control"-the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee meeting held on February 16th pointed out this. The meeting stressed that all localities and departments should, with a sense of responsibility, thoroughly sum up the experience and practices in the past three years, especially in the recent period, improve relevant mechanisms and measures, earnestly grasp the work of epidemic prevention and control in the new stage, build a strong health service system, and resolutely consolidate the hard-won major achievements.
Sum up experience and practice from the extraordinary process of anti-epidemic and epidemic prevention
Fuyuchong Village, Renheping Town, Wufeng County, Hubei Province, is located in the mountains. In the past two months, Pei Qingping, the village party secretary, has an extra task: every morning, he will call the elderly who have difficulties living alone in the village. If he doesn’t answer the phone, he will immediately notify the responsible person of the package to visit.
Five-level secretaries should pay attention to prevention and control, establish a contact system for key people and households, and improve the three-level medical and health service system in counties and villages … The measures have been implemented in detail, and the prevention and control of epidemic situation in rural areas is not relaxed. At the end of January, the overall epidemic situation in China has entered a low epidemic level.
From Wuhan Defence War and Hubei Defence War to normalized epidemic prevention and control, from insisting on "external defense input and internal defense rebound" to Covid-19 infection returning to "Class B and B management", the course of anti-epidemic and epidemic prevention in China has been extraordinary for more than three years.
Practicing "people first, life first", China’s COVID-19 mortality rate remains at the lowest level in the world-
Protection of vulnerable people, accurate and rapid triage, treatment of critically ill patients, supply of medicines and materials … Conscientiously implement the decision-making arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and keep an eye on key links. Since November 2022, China has achieved a smooth transition in epidemic prevention and control in a relatively short period of time, with more than 200 million people being treated and nearly 800,000 critically ill patients being effectively treated.
Looking back more than three years, China’s voice is loud and firm: "We can protect people’s lives and health at all costs", "Do our best to prevent more people from being infected and try our best to save more patients’ lives". The CPC Central Committee with the Supreme Leader as the core has always adhered to the principle of putting people first and life first, United and led the whole party and people of all ethnic groups to fight the epidemic with one heart and one mind, effectively protecting people’s life safety and health.
Optimize and adjust the prevention and control policies and measures according to the time and situation. Practice has proved that concerted efforts to fight the epidemic have achieved great results-
In the face of the once-in-a-century COVID-19 epidemic, there is no ready-made answer on how to prevent and control it scientifically.
From issuing ten versions of prevention and control plans and diagnosis and treatment plans, to implementing "Twenty Articles" and "New Ten Articles" to optimizing prevention and control measures, and then to adjusting from "Class A tube" to "Class B tube" … For more than three years, China has closely followed the characteristics of virus variation, always paid attention to the evolution of the epidemic situation, and always insisted on prevention and control, research, summary and adjustment.
Efficient coordination of epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development has avoided the widespread spread of virus strains with strong pathogenicity and high mortality rate, and a populous country has successfully emerged from the epidemic … Practice has proved that the Party Central Committee’s major judgment on the epidemic situation, major decision-making on prevention and control work and major adjustment of prevention and control strategies are completely correct, the measures are powerful, the masses recognize them and the results are enormous.
Insist on asking science for answers and methods, and the strength of science and technology supports China to achieve great achievements in the war "epidemic"-
Science is the fundamental solution to the "epidemic".
Determine the pathogen within 8 days and complete the optimization of the detection kit within 16 days; Five technical routes have promoted vaccine research and development in parallel, and 13 vaccines have been approved for conditional marketing or emergency use; Multi-path R&D quickly selects therapeutic drugs, and expands the production of rescue equipment and materials such as negative pressure ambulances, ventilators and medical protective clothing … China gives full play to the supporting role of science and technology in epidemic prevention and control.
Liang Wannian, head of the expert group of the National Health and Wellness Commission’s epidemic response and disposal work leading group, said that the epidemic situation in various places is sporadic, and China has withstood the impact and test of this round of epidemic situation, established a relatively good population immune barrier, and achieved a major decisive victory in epidemic prevention and control.
Grasp the work of epidemic prevention and control in the new stage
In February, universities, primary and secondary schools across the country ushered in the first school season after the implementation of "Class B Management" for Covid-19 infection.
"I feel very happy to go back to school." With the resumption of international flights, many foreign students have returned to campus, and Li Wen, an international student from Shanghai International Studies University in Italy, is one of them.
"Class B tube" is not a laissez-faire. Returning to school is related to the life, study and work of nearly 300 million teachers and students. The epidemic prevention and control policy in the new stage clearly requires that schools be protected as key institutions and teachers and students be protected as key groups.
Adhere to the daily morning and afternoon inspection, epidemic situation report of infectious diseases, and follow-up registration system for absenteeism due to illness; Strictly implement rolling disinfection in key areas where people gather, such as canteens, dormitories and elevators; Set the transition period in physical education class, and adjust the intensity of physical training step by step … Educational institutions all over the country are fully implementing the national epidemic prevention and control policy, and fully restoring the normal education and teaching order.
The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee meeting held on February 16th demanded that the decision-making and deployment of the CPC Central Committee should be seriously implemented, the "four-party responsibility" should be compacted, the key links should be closely watched, and the risk personnel should be well controlled and implemented on the basis of the existing work.
The medical material support group establishes a central and local two-level dispatching mechanism for key medical materials, which is responsible for grading and territorial planning; Sort out and summarize the drug demand of national pension institutions, schools and rural areas, and ensure that the drug use of key groups is effectively guaranteed; Many ministries and commissions focus on the common goal of ensuring supply and price stability, and pay close attention to every link of the work of ensuring living materials …
Focusing on medical treatment, production and supply of key materials, transportation guarantee, epidemic prevention and control in rural areas and management guarantee of old-age care institutions, all localities and departments have stepped up efforts to implement the deployment of fine work and continuously optimize and improve prevention and control measures.
In Beijing, the accounts of "one old and one small" and special hardship groups in Jianxiangyuan Community, Xueyuan Road Street, Haidian District are listed in an orderly manner; In Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital rapidly expanded four wards to eight wards in two days, and the number of ICU beds increased from 4% to 10% of the total number of beds. In Chongqing, elderly people over the age of 60 are given free "health kits" for epidemic prevention, and the city maintains a relatively abundant inventory of key drugs in medical institutions …
Li Bin, deputy director of the National Health and Wellness Commission, said that the legal adjustment of the new coronavirus infection from "Class A tube" to "Class B tube" does not mean that all prevention and control measures will be withdrawn, but we should continue to strengthen management, service and security.
According to the latest data from the Civil Aviation Administration, during the period from January 7 to February 15 in Spring Festival travel rush, civil aviation transported more than 55 million passengers, an increase of 39% over Spring Festival travel rush last year; From February 6 to 12, China has resumed scheduled passenger flights with 58 countries, and 98 Chinese and foreign airlines have carried out 795 flights … Since the implementation of the "Class B Management" measures, the passenger traffic of China’s civil aviation has increased substantially and the market has recovered rapidly.
Grasp the work of epidemic prevention and control in the new stage, and resolutely consolidate the hard-won major achievements. A large country with a population of more than 1.4 billion has successfully emerged from the epidemic and is releasing great vitality for development and strong energy for moving forward.
Constantly build a strong health service system
Since the end of 2022, Lishu County, Siping City, Jilin Province has set up a key population management account for the elderly over 65 according to the basic diseases and vaccination, and designated high, medium and low risk levels with red, yellow and green colors. About 350 family doctors keep their mobile phones open and provide classified health services at any time.
At present, the situation of epidemic prevention and control in China is generally improving, and it has smoothly entered the stage of "Class B and B management", but the global epidemic situation is still prevalent and the virus is constantly mutating. Disease control experts have judged that the future COVID-19 epidemic in China may occur intermittently in local areas, some people and for a period of time.
We should strengthen the capacity building of epidemic monitoring and normalization early warning, scientifically plan the next stage of vaccination, do a good job in the construction of a normalized, hierarchical and decentralized medical and health system, strengthen the production and supply of medical materials, and promote scientific and technological research in the field of health as a whole … The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee meeting held on February 16th put forward a series of clear requirements.
In response to the new mutant, timely and accurate early warning should be made and necessary emergency prevention and control measures should be taken. Medical institutions fever clinic (consulting room) monitoring system, sentinel hospital monitoring system, virus variation monitoring system … The National Health and Wellness Commission, the National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention, together with relevant departments, formed a number of monitoring subsystems on the basis of direct reporting of infectious diseases through the network, and constantly improved the epidemic monitoring system and information reporting system.
Vaccination is an important measure and means of epidemic prevention and control in COVID-19. The State Council’s joint prevention and control mechanism is guiding all localities to continue to promote the vaccination of key populations such as the elderly in an orderly manner according to the virus variation and vaccine protection.
We will do a good job in the construction of a normalized, graded, stratified and decentralized medical and health system, and further promote the high-quality development of medical emergency systems and capabilities in accordance with the principle of combining emergency with emergency and system efficiency; Fully guarantee the stable supply of medical materials, improve the reserve system and catalogue, and strengthen the reserve of emergency drugs and materials in medical institutions; Gather all forces to improve the scientific and technological level of life and health … To make up for shortcomings and strong and weak items, all localities and departments are laying a solid institutional guarantee for people’s life safety and health.
The relevant person in charge of the comprehensive group of joint prevention and control mechanism in the State Council said that the health service system should be continuously strengthened, and efforts should be made to improve the epidemic prevention ability in peacetime and wartime, so as to ensure that resources can keep up, response is efficient, mechanisms can be linked, and prevention and control can achieve practical results, so as to ensure a well-prepared battle and effectively safeguard the health and well-being of the people.