With China entering a new phase of the epidemic as case numbers drop, there are suggestions that the bigger risk will now be imported cases from other areas.
Prof Sian Griffiths, Emeritus Professor, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and co-chair of the Hong Kong government’s SARS inquiry, said:
“As case numbers in Hubei and Wuhan drop China faces a new challenge, imported cases from high risk area elsewhere in the world. By the end of Tuesday March 3rd, 6,728 overseas passengers had arrived in China showing symptoms of infection, according to the General Administration of Customs. Among them 779 were suspected coronavirus cases and 75 showed positive results from initial nucleic acid tests.
Of the 25 cases reported yesterday in China outside Hubei, 24 were imported. Chinese regional authorities are now instituting quarantine measures for returning students and workers as well as visitors from Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan . These measures are taken at a time when, in the light of the decreasing figures, there are signs that the lockdown in Hubei may be eased. The focus to control this potential second wave remains the basic public health measures of early identification, isolation and quarantine as well as early treatment if symptoms require hospitalisation – as well as reinforcing personal hygiene measures in the public. In the difficult balance of protecting the public’s health at the same time as kick starting the economy there seems to be some optimism about the scientific progress in developing a vaccine as well as effective anti-viral drugs.
Professor Zhong Nanshan, SARS veteran and government adviser is quoted as warning that imported cases will become the next problem in tackling the epidemic and advises that: “countries should strengthen mutual exchanges and international cooperation, share success and failure experiences, establish joint prevention and control mechanisms, and jointly achieve early detection, early isolation, and early treatment”.”
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