Not only the simultaneous outbreak, but also the simultaneous infection should be concerned.
China to start flu vaccination early in some provinces
[아시아경제 김현정 기자] China is concerned about a ‘twindemic’ in which COVID-19 and seasonal flu occur together ahead of the flu season. He also ordered early flu vaccinations and enhanced personal hygiene.
China’s state-run Global Times on the 12th quoted Dong Xiaoping, a senior researcher at the China Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to warn that the risk of combining the flu and COVID-19 in the fall and winter of this year is high. Previously, the CDC predicted that the prevalence of the flu would be higher this fall and winter than COVID-19.
According to authorities, at least nine provinces in China are reporting more than 100 confirmed cases per day. In particular, it is increasing in Hainan, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and Shijang (Tibet) Autonomous Region, and the daily number of confirmed cases is approaching 2,000, the media reported.
The Global Times said that it has issued flu alerts this fall and winter in places including Guangdong, Jiangsu, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces. He also emphasized the need to immediately vaccinate the vulnerable and maintain personal hygiene in daily life.
In some regions of Guangdong, Sichuan, and Fujian provinces, where flu cases surged in the summer, large-scale flu vaccinations began in June. In Hainan Province, China’s first quadrivalent influenza vaccine has been provided to local children under the age of three since late last month.
“We see concerns about the simultaneous spread of influenza and COVID-19,” said Xiao Yiming, a CDC virus researcher. “Effective mechanisms to deal with communicable disease risks ensure that necessary actions can be followed in case of emergency.” The researcher also explained that China can establish a system to monitor the prevalence of influenza and COVID-19 so that it can provide timely preventive messages and can screen out infected patients in hospitals and other clinics.
On the other hand, Lu Hongzhou, director of the Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, warned that caution is needed because the interaction between COVID-19 and the flu is complex and not yet fully understood. “In a twindemic scenario, co-infection with COVID-19 should also be seriously considered,” he said. In particular, it is expected that existing measures against COVID-19 will reduce contact with the flu and consequently reduce the public’s flu immunity. According to a paper by Dr. Lu and his research team, published last month in the bioscience journal Bioscience Trend, there is concern that the population’s insufficient adaptive immunity to the flu could lead to a future pandemic.
The Global Times emphasized, “Co-infection can be a thorny problem,” and emphasized that “effective vaccines and antiviral treatments should be provided, and correct knowledge about prevention should be distributed and transmitted.” In China, Azvudine, an edible Corona 19 treatment drug, has recently been approved for 270 yuan (about 52,000 won) per bottle. Pfizer’s Paxlovide has also been approved as a treatment in China.
By Kim Hyun-jung, staff reporter [email protected]