Wang Lixiang: How to effectively launch a "combination punch" to prevent and control the epidemic

With the weakening of the pathogenicity of the Omicron virus, the popularization of vaccination, and the accumulation of prevention and control experience, my country's epidemic prevention and control faces new situations and new tasks. So, in the face of new situations and new tasks, what should we do in terms of epidemic prevention and control means and medical resource preparation? Faced with an epidemic that has not been seen in a century, my country, in line with the principle of "people first, life first", has launched a series of wars such as the "Wuhan Defense War" and the "Shanghai Blocking War" in a timely manner according to the trend of the occurrence and development of the new coronavirus, and the achievements have been obvious to all. Although the virulence of the new coronavirus has weakened, it has shown the characteristics of fast transmission speed and hidden strong infectiousness. In response to this wave of multiple epidemics in many places across the country, how to "prevent the epidemic, stabilize the economy, and develop safely" and firmly win the "battle" of this complex epidemic, the author believes that a "combination punch" of epidemic prevention and control should be played.

First, we need to precisely control the source of infection. To prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic, the most important thing is to control the source of infection.

First, we must fully identify the source of infection. At present, it is basically clear that people who are infected with the new coronavirus and can infect others are called the source of infection. The "three" people who are the cause of the new coronavirus, carriers, and latent carriers are marked as the source of infection, including the scientific and precise control of some people who have been cured and then "re-positive" and turned into "chronic new coronavirus infections", which still needs to be continuously optimized and improved.

Second, we must accurately determine the source of infection as early as possible. Use technical means to assist in the diagnosis of the source of infection of the new crown, and use the "antigen, antibody, and nucleic acid" detection methods to accurately maximize the effectiveness of auxiliary diagnosis according to individual and local conditions. For example, for the three tests, the sensitivity of antigen detection is "lower" than that of nucleic acid detection, and the sensitivity of antibody detection is "later" than that of nucleic acid detection, indicating that nucleic acid detection is still an effective means of auxiliary diagnosis for the new crown. Of course, when understanding that nucleic acid detection is the main method for early auxiliary diagnosis of the new crown, more efficient detection technologies should be developed to further improve scientific accuracy.

Third, we need to conduct in-depth multi-center research on the impact of the new coronavirus on the human body. According to the general rules of epidemics, the harm caused by the new coronavirus to the human body may have "three stages", namely, direct tissue damage in the short term, multiple organ damage in the medium term, and damage to the human immune system in the long term. We need to conduct more in-depth research on the direct and potential impact of the new coronavirus on infected people.

Fourth, we must actively develop effective drugs to treat COVID-19. Actively and accurately administering drugs to the discovered sources of infection (cases) is an indispensable part of COVID-19 prevention and control. In particular, on the basis of existing anti-epidemic drugs, we should make good use of the unique advantages of traditional Chinese medicine, and in line with the research and development ideas of applying the past to the present, applying the foreign to the Chinese, and combining the Chinese and Western medicines, we will definitely discover a combination of prevention, treatment and rescue drugs with Chinese characteristics.

Secondly, it is to accurately cut off the transmission route. The new coronavirus is mostly transmitted through air droplets, aerosols, direct contact and other routes. my country has successively issued nine versions of prevention and control plans and introduced 20 optimization measures, which include specific methods for cutting off the transmission route. On the basis of consistently implementing the cutting off of "external routes" of transmission, the new concept of blocking "internal routes" of transmission should also be promoted. Through "wearing masks, washing hands frequently, less gathering, and keeping distance", we can only cut off the infection of external routes. We should also understand the route of the new coronavirus entering the body. The new coronavirus enters the human body first in the upper respiratory tract, concentrated in the mucosal epithelial cells of the nose and throat, and then replicates here and gradually moves to the lower respiratory tract and alveoli until it enters the blood. Therefore, putting an "inner mask" on the virus in the process of entering from the outside to the inside is undoubtedly another measure to cut off the transmission route.

We advocate that on the basis of continuing to strengthen the body's external combat defense against viruses, we should also wear the human body's "inner mask", that is, after the virus enters the human body, the body's skin and mucous membranes, mucus and cells, antigens and antibodies are composed of three layers of anti-virus barriers, which can be obtained by "washing the nose and gargling, drinking enough water, and enriching nutrition" to form an epidemic prevention barrier "mask" that blocks and cuts off the internal route of virus infection. Carrying out a good "two-line integration" blockade of internal and external routes is of practical significance in dealing with the new coronavirus and cutting off the transmission route.

Secondly, it is to precisely protect susceptible groups. Usually, people who lack sufficient resistance to the pathogenic factor of the new coronavirus are susceptible. In the process of COVID-19 prevention and control, susceptible people lack specific immunity and become the most vulnerable to infection. Therefore, my country has increased its protection for the elderly and children with low immune function, and strengthened vaccination for the entire population, especially the elderly, which has been included in the national prevention and control policy.

Vaccination has a certain protective effect in slowing down the spread and reducing the mortality rate of severe cases. People are pinning their hopes on the emergence of a vaccine to eradicate the new coronavirus, and are also looking forward to the birth of a planned immunization vaccine like the one that prevents influenza. Among the 320 major epidemics recorded in human history, only the Chinese nation has written a glorious history of fighting the epidemic, and the body's immunity has played an indispensable role in this. Immunity is the body's ability to resist viruses and microorganisms. Fully mobilizing the individual's autonomous immunity is the basis of "overcoming the epidemic." Autonomous immunity allows our bodies to resist the invasion of foreign viruses and microorganisms, maintain the stability of the internal environment, and mobilize special cells to engulf and eliminate all invading enemies (bacteria, viruses, aging and dead cells, mutated cells, and substances that cause allergic reactions in the body). This is also the immune power to deal with the new coronavirus and restore the stability, harmony and health of people's internal and external environment.

In the battle to win the prevention and control of the new crown, we must call on those who are susceptible to take positive action, and while being passively protected, they should also take the initiative to strengthen their self-protection. Good autonomous immunity is the positive energy that transforms decay into magic. The new coronavirus is a brand new virus. Although the human body cannot eliminate it in the first place, it can fight it through its own non-specific immunity until the body produces specific immunity and finally defeats the virus. A healthy lifestyle such as a reasonable diet, moderate exercise, a positive attitude and adequate sleep is a special medicine to improve immunity. (The author is a national health science expert, professor, and doctoral supervisor)

References:

[1] Wang Guiqiang, Wang Lixiang, and Zhang Wenhong (eds.) Immunity is a Good Doctor, People’s Medical Publishing House, April 2020

[2] Wang Lixiang, “Three Forces” Strategy for Coping with Epidemics in History, Chinese Medical Information Herald, 2020, No. 10, pp. 12-13

[3] Wang Lixiang Plants the Seedlings of the “Three Principles” in the COVID-19 Vaccine[J], Health World Magazine, January 5, 2021