专家支持清零政策｜Experts back zero-COVID control policy

As China strives to contain its biggest COVID-19 surge in two years, officials and experts have urged continuation of the dynamic zero-COVID strategy and enforcement of science-based control measures to halt the spread of the virus.

随着中国努力遏制两年来最严重的新冠疫情，官员和专家敦促继续坚持动态清零策略并加强科学管控，阻止病毒传播。

Despite the large spike in new cases and challenges in blocking the highly transmissible Omicron variant, they said the goal of zero infection in communities must be achieved to protect medical systems from being overstretched and a jump in related deaths.

新增病例迅速攀升，传染性强的奥密克戎变异株正给中国带来严峻挑战，但是官员和专家们表示必须实现社区零感染的目标，以免出现医疗资源挤兑和死亡病例激增。

More sustainable response strategies should be devised, such as providing home test kits, antiviral pills and better preparing healthcare services.

应该制定更可持续的应对策略，例如提供家庭检测试剂盒、抗病毒口服药物和更充足的医疗资源准备。

The Chinese mainland reported 1,337 locally transmitted, confirmed infections for Sunday, down from over 1,800 the previous day. However, it was the second day in a row that confirmed infections topped 1,000.

13日中国内地新增本土确诊病例1337例，较前日下降1800多例。然而，这是连续第二天报告新增确诊病例超过1000例。

The number of asymptomatic cases also went down by about 500 to 788 on Sunday, according to the National Health Commission.

据国家卫健委消息，本土新增无症状感染者788例，较前日下降500例。

Lei Zhenglong, deputy head of the commission's Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control, said on Monday that the recent epidemic has affected 27 provincial-level regions. As of Sunday, more than 10,000 domestic infections had been reported this month.

国家卫生健康委疾控局副局长雷正龙14日表示，3月1日至13日，本土疫情累计报告感染者已超过10000例，波及全国27个省份。

The country's virus control strategy is still effective against the Omicron variant, but Omicron's stealth and rapid transmission means that faster and stricter measures should be taken, he said.

雷正龙表示，中国的疫情防控策略应对奥密克戎变异株疫情是完全有效的，但奥密克戎变异株传播更快、隐匿性强的特点要求我们的防控措施更早、更快、更严、更实。

The hardest-hit regions include Jilin and Guangdong provinces and Shanghai.

吉林、上海、广东等地受疫情影响最大。

Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan arrived in Jilin on Sunday to guide local virus control work, and visited a local high school and a residential complex.

13日，中共中央政治局委员、国务院副总理孙春兰到吉林调研指导疫情防控工作，实地考察了当地一所高中和一处居民区。

The province registered 895 locally transmitted, confirmed cases, or nearly 67 percent of total cases nationwide for Sunday, presenting a "severe and complicated situation", according to Sun.

3月13日0-24时，吉林省新增本地确诊病例895例，约占全国新增病例的67%。孙春兰表示，要深刻认识当前疫情防控形势的严峻性复杂性。

During the inspection, she stressed local authorities should cope with the outbreak in a resolute, scientific, and effective manner, and strictly implement mass testing, quarantine and treatment protocols to achieve zero cases as soon as possible.

视察期间，孙春兰强调，各级党政干部要态度坚决、科学精准、高效处置，不折不扣地做到应检尽检、应隔尽隔、应治尽治，尽快实现社会面清零。

China approved on Sunday the use of rapid antigen testing kits, and Sun said screening for infections should be accelerated via both nucleic acid and antigen tests and improved organization.

13日中国批准新冠抗原自测产品上市。孙春兰强调，要加快感染者筛查，采用核酸和抗原检测相结合，提升检测能力，优化组织实施。

More aid will be sent to Jilin to boost its ability to conduct epidemiological investigations. While high-risk groups must undergo centralized quarantine, people at lower risk can isolate at home, she said.

孙春兰表示，要针对流调排查不彻底问题，抽调流调队伍支援，高风险人员必须集中隔离，风险较低的可居家隔离。

The latest outbreaks sweeping the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are mainly caused by the highly transmissible subvariant of Omicron, known as BA. 2, according to experts.

专家表示，最近席卷中国大陆和香港特别行政区的疫情主要是由高传染性的奥密克戎亚型变异株BA.2引起的。

Zhang Wenhong, head of the infectious disease department at Fudan University's Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, said it is vital to stay confident, calm and clear-minded, and to not give up the fight against the virus.

复旦大学附属华山医院感染科主任张文宏表示，对于未来抗疫，我们应该有很清晰的思路，而不是整天在争论是清零还是共存。

"The infections in the mainland are still in the early stage of an exponential rise," he said on the microblogging platform Sina Weibo. "Because of a surge of cases in a relatively short span, many regions have appeared to be flustered."

张文宏在其微博上说，“国内这波疫情目前处于指数级上升初期...由于短期内出现了大量的病例，全国各地难免显得有些慌乱。”

With local authorities implementing targeted lockdowns and speeding up screening of key areas, Zhang said the virus' spread will eventually be slowed.

张文宏表示随着当地政府实施针对性的封锁，并加快对重点地区的筛查，病毒的传播最终会慢下来。

Based on discussions with virologists at the University of Hong Kong, he said the virulence of the new strain has decreased, and that fully vaccinated people and those with normal immune systems are unlikely to develop serious symptoms.

基于和香港大学的病毒学家的讨论，张文宏表示病毒的毒力已经明显降低，完全接种疫苗的人和免疫系统正常的人不太可能出现重症。

Only 0.1 percent of the 2,266 patients being treated in Shanghai over the past six months have been classified as having severe cases, and no one has died, he added.

上海近六个月收治的2266例病例中，重症只占0.1%，无一例死亡病例。

Based on Hong Kong data, the death rate of people who aren't fully immunized is 23 times higher than those have received two shots.

香港数据显示，接种一剂或未打针人士的整体死亡率是接种两针人士的23倍。

Though the virus has become milder and less lethal, Zhang argues against relaxing virus containment policies.

尽管病毒变得更温和，致死率降低，张文宏并不赞同放松病毒控制政策。

"If China opens up too quickly, many people will get infected quickly, leading to a staggering number of hospitalizations, strained medical systems and an impact on society," he said. The consequences would be unimaginable for the elderly and those with underlying health problems who have not been vaccinated for fear of side effects, he said.

张文宏表示，“我们中国如果现在迅速开放，会引起短时间内大量人群的感染，即使再低的病死率也会造成医疗资源挤兑和社会生活的短暂休克，对社会和家庭造成不可弥补的伤害。我国现在高龄和患有基础疾病的人群中，相当高的比例由于害怕疫苗接种的副作用，还没有充分接种，一旦普遍感染，后果不堪设想。”

While it is vital for China to continue its strategy of achieving zero infection and bring the wave of Omicron infections under control, "it doesn't mean that we will impose lockdowns and mass testing persistently", he said.

张文宏表示，“近期我国继续采取社会面清零策略，将传播极快的奥密克戎第五波疫情压制在完全可控的水平是非常重要的。但这并不意味着我们会持久性地采取封城和全检测的策略。”

When the outbreaks are stamped out, it is essential to seize the window of opportunity to develop smarter and more sustainable strategies, such as launching an extensive booster vaccine plan for seniors, ensuring the supply of oral antiviral medicine and affordable home testing kits, and developing fully trained triage medical services and home quarantine protocols, he said.

张文宏表示，我们要借助此次一定会到来的社会面清零所带来的难得的机遇期与窗口期，准备好更为智慧、可持续的应对策略，包括：老年人普遍的第三针接种，以及更好的疫苗与疫苗接种策略，可以广泛供给的口服药物，可以负担得起的广泛提供的居家检测试剂，得到有效训练和预演的分级诊疗策略，未来居家隔离的流程。

halt

英 [hɔːlt; hɒlt]; 美 [hɔːlt]

v.（使）停止行进；阻止，中断；（口令）立定；跛行；（尤指逻辑或诗韵）有缺陷；踌躇，犹豫

n.停止，中止；<英>乡间小火车站（只有站台）；跛，瘸；跛，瘸；（口令）立定

adj.跛的，瘸的

overstretch

英 [ˌəʊvəˈstretʃ]; 美 [ˌəʊvəˈstretʃ]

vt.过分伸展

vi.要求过高

n.过分伸展

stealth

英 [stelθ]; 美 [stelθ]

n.秘密；秘密行动；鬼祟

antigen

英 [ˈæntɪdʒə]; 美 [kənˈsɪʒən]

n. [免疫]抗原

flustered

英[ˈflʌstəd];美[ˈflʌstərd]

adj.慌张的；激动不安的

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英语新闻丨专家支持清零政策