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Chongqing News

Two more rounds of nucleic acid testing to be carried out in downtown Chongqing

2022-10-13 14:22:34

CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- Due to the more transmissible and less detectable Omicron variant and the grim and complex epidemic situation, two more rounds of nucleic acid testing will be carried out in downtown Chongqing respectively in two rounds (from October 12 to 13, and from October 14 to 15).

During the 130th press conference on the prevention and control of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Chongqing held on the evening of October 11, Li Pan, the deputy director of Chongqing Municipal Health Commission reported the news above.

Two rounds of regional nucleic acid testing were conducted in the downtown area from October 8 to October 11, which helped prevent the spread of the epidemic effectively by confirming 17 cases of infection and discovering the potential sources of infections, and indicated the existence of hidden infections in the society, Li Pan said.

At present, some districts have already released notices about regional nucleic acid testing, so please check the relevant information on the official platform and actively participate in the nucleic acid testing as required. Regional nucleic acid testing should be carried out in the districts and counties outside the downtown areas based on their specific needs.

Li Pan added that nucleic acid testing is a very effective and important method in the epidemic prevention and control, as well as the first line of defense for the implementation of “timely detection, timely report, timely isolation and timely treatment”. He hoped the public will understand and support the epidemic prevention policies and complete the nucleic acid testing as required.

Li reminded that the public have to be more confident, and support the epidemic prevention and control measures by wearing a mask properly, wash hands and practice appropriate hygiene frequently, using serving chopsticks, practicing social distancing, cutting down travel to crowded places, having their temperatures and codes checked in the public areas, etc.

Why should we carry out two more rounds of nucleic acid testing? Luo Fei, the chief physician of the Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), listed the following reasons:

Firstly, as epidemic outbreaks occurred in many places of the city, the epidemic situations remains grim and complex. The first confirmed case in these outbreaks in the downtown area had been involved in lots of social activities before they were isolated, which caused dozens of new cases. Some of the infected had been to shopping malls, hospitals, clinics, supermarkets and other crowded places, leading to an increasing number of risk areas and people and a high risk of epidemic outbreak. According to the 9th edition of prevention and control guidance, it is necessary to conduct frequent nucleic acid testing.

Secondly, the current epidemic outbreak in the city is caused by the Omicron variant, which features high speed of transmission, low infectious dose, a short incubation period and fewer obvious symptoms. The virus proliferates in the human body over a period of time before it was tested positive, making it more difficult to discover the infectious patients through low-frequency testing.

“In summary, even if previous the nucleic acid test results of the vast majority of residents were negative, it is necessary to conduct several rounds of nucleic acid testing so as to find out the potential infections as early as possible, curb the spread of the virus in a timely manner, and narrow the scope of the epidemic outbreak,” Luo Fei said. (Translated by Cai Xinyu, Fathom Language Limited)

Editor:Jiang Yiwei