ChinatooktheleadinsharingCOVID-19informationandviruscontrolexperience,aswellasinsupplyingvaccinesandsendingmedicalteams,duringtheglobalfightagainstthedisease,expertsandofficialssaidonMonday,aftertheWorldHealthOrganizationannouncedthedowngradingofthepandemiclastweek.
Thenation"santivirusbattlealsodemonstratedadvantagesofitspoliticalsystemandcapabilitiesofitsmedicalprofessionals,researchersandgrassrootsworkers,whichcanhelpguidethehandlingofothercontagiousdiseasesinthefuture,theyadded.
OnFriday,theWHOannouncedthatCOVID-19nolongerqualifiesasapublichealthemergencyofinternationalconcern,orPHEIC,morethanthreeyearsafteritwasdeclaredapandemic.
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LiangWannian,headoftheNationalHealthCommission"sepidemicemergencyresponseexpertpanel,saidthatwhenthefirstdomesticCOVID-19casesemergedinWuhan,Hubeiprovince,inDecember2019,ChinareportedthemtotheWHOattheearliestpossibletime,andlaterpromptlyidentifiedthepathogenandsharedgenomesequenceswiththerestoftheworld,aswellaspublishedtreatmentanddiseasecontrolprotocols.
"Chinaofferedscientificevidencetoaidtheglobalcommunity"seffortsindevelopingvaccinesandtestingkitstotacklethedisease,"hesaid.
Thecountryprovidedantivirusgear,includingrespirators,protectiveclothingandmasks,for153countriesand15internationalorganizations,andsent37expertteamsto34countries.
"AsthefirstcountrytopledgemakingCOVID-19vaccines"aglobalpublicgood"andalsothefirsttocooperatewithdevelopingnationstomanufacturevaccines,Chinasuppliedover2.2billiondoses(ofvaccines)tomorethan120countriesandinternationalgroups,"Liangsaid.
WangWenbin,spokesmanfortheForeignMinistry,said,"Chinanotonlyprotected...itsownpeoplebutalsofunctionedasakeysupplierofviruscontrolmaterialsandthebackboneoftheglobalfightagainstCOVID-19."
Thenationfendedoffmorethan100localoutbreaks,withitsinstitutionaladvantagesandthecommitmentofthewholesocietyplayingapivotalrole.
"Thefundamentalruleforandtheprerequisiteofallourviruscontrolstrategiesisputtinglivesandthehealthofourpeopleaboveeverythingelse,"Liangsaid,addingthatjointpubliceffortsandthededicationofhealthworkershelpedthenationprevailinitsfightagainstthevirus.
"Fromvaccineresearchtodevelopmentoftestingequipment,ourscientificcapabilitieshavealsoimprovedgreatly,"Liangsaid,emphasizingthedeploymentofbigdataandartificialintelligencetoolstoincreasetheefficiencyoftrackingandmanaginginfections.
"Overthepastthreeyears,Chinahasformulatedrelativelysmoothandeffectivecommunitymanagementsystemsandaccumulatedexperienceatthegrassrootslevel,"hesaid."Thesewillplayagreaterroleinhandlingotherpublichealthemergenciesandincurbingchronicdiseases."
ExpertsnotedthattheWHO"sdecisiontodowngradeCOVID-19"spublichealthemergencystatusdoesnotmeanthatthereshouldbecomplacencytowardimplementingviruscontrolmeasures.
LiuQing,anofficialfromtheNationalAdministrationofDiseasePreventionandControl,saidthethreatofCOVID-19stillremains,aseasedrestrictionscouldpromoteglobaltravelandacceleratethespreadofthevirus.
AccordingtotheChineseCenterforDiseaseControlandPrevention,thehighlytransmissibleXBBvarianthasbecomethedominantstrainonthemainland,withitspercentageamongtotalCOVID-19infectionsrisingfrom0.2inmid-Februaryto74.4inApril.
Chinawilluseitsmultichannelsurveillancesystems,whichcoverviralmutation,feverclinics,sentinelhospitals,urbansewagesystemsandcommunities,tocloselymonitorthedomesticandglobalepidemictrajectory,Liusaid.
"Itisalsoimportanttostepupmonitoringofimportedcasesandnovelvariantstoreducetherisksofthemtriggeringlarge-scaleoutbreaks,"hesaid.
Specialattentionwillbepaidtoschools,seniorcarehomesandsocialwelfarecenters,Liusaid,addingthatvaccinationamongtheelderly,peoplewhohaveneverbeeninfectedandthosewhohavenotcompletedprimaryimmunizationwillbestrengthened.
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