Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Image : Apple Daily.
Zhong Nanshan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, was interviewed by CNN on Saturday (17 May 2020) and warned that China is still facing the "great challenge" of the second wave of the pandemic because most people lack group immunity. He also confirmed that the local government of Wuhan concealed key information at the beginning of the epidemic, but claimed that after the central government of Beijing took over the leading fight against the epidemic in late January, the official data were true. He also warned that the second wave of outbreak crises in the mainland is getting bigger.
According to reports, from late January to early February, the number of confirmed diagnoses of pneumonia in Wuhan in China has exploded, and the number of daily confirmed diagnoses has dropped to two digits a month later. The current epidemic is generally under control and people's lives have gradually returned to normal. However, Zhong Nanshan said that the Chinese authorities should not be complacent, because the risk of the two outbreaks is getting higher and higher, and cluster infections have recently occurred in Wuhan, Heilongjiang and Jilin. Zhong Nanshan said that most Chinese people are still susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 due to lack of antibodies. "At present, we are facing no fewer huge challenges than foreign countries."
Zhong Nanshan said that he led researchers to Wuhan on 18 January to investigate the epidemic. At that time, he received calls from many doctors and past students, warning him that the situation in Wuhan was much more serious than officials said. "The local government did not want to tell the truth at the time," Zhong Nanshan said. "They remained silent at the beginning of the outbreak, and then I think there may be a large number of people infected."
Zhong Nanshan said that at that time, the number of diagnoses officially announced by Wuhan was maintained at 41 for more than ten days, but the number of overseas diagnoses began to increase, so he became suspicious about the number of covid cases. He commented, "I think they are very reluctant to answer my question."
After returning to Beijing, he learned on 20 January 2020 that the number of official diagnoses in Wuhan had increased to 198, including 3 deaths and 13 medical infections. At the meeting that day with the Chinese Premier of the State Council and other central government officials, he proposed to close Wuhan to stop the spread of the virus.
The Beijing authorities closed Wuhan on 23 January 2020, cancelled all flights, trains, and buses, and blocked major highways; the closure of the city was only lifted 76 days later. Wuhan Mayor Zhou Xianwang admitted in an interview with CCTV on 27 January 27 that the information disclosure was "untimely". He said, "As a local government, I can only disclose it after I have been authorized."
CNN reported that although Zhong Nanshan admitted that Wuhan had under-reported the number of diagnoses at the beginning of the epidemic, it did not recognize that the central government had under-reported after taking over Wuhan's epidemic prevention in late January.
Zhong Nanshan pointed out that when SARS broke out 17 years ago, the Chinese authorities concealed part of the epidemic “for as long as two or three months”. This time they have learned a lesson from SARS. The number of infected patients will be punished if someone fails to do so. " Zhong Nanshan said that since 23 January 2020, "I think all the data are correct."
According to data reported by the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the mainland as of 15 May was nearly 83,000, and 4,633 deaths. Statistics from Johns Hopkins University show that as of 16 May, 1.46 million people have been diagnosed and more than 88,000 people have died. The number of deaths in the United States has exceeded the number of infected people in China.
Zhong Nanshan said he was surprised by the number of diagnoses and deaths in the United States. He believes that some western countries failed to take seriously the threat of SARS-CoV-2 in the early stage of the epidemic.He commented, "I think some European countries, and perhaps the United States, think that the disease is similar to flu, which is wrong."
Zhong Nanshan disagreed with US President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo’s claim that the virus came from the Wuhan Institute of Viology, noting that Shi Zhengli, a scholar at the Wuhan Virus Research Institute, was his friend, and that the virus was produced by the institute and leaked. He repeatedly asked Shi Zhengli and the reply is always "this statement is too ridiculous, she has never done anything like that. She said that with their current equipment and manpower ... it is impossible to make artificial viruses."
Zhong Nanshan claimed that the Chinese Center for Disease Prevention & Control had spent two weeks in early February investigating whether Shi Zhengli's laboratory had made a mistake, but found no results.
At present, the world is actively developing virus vaccines. According to information from the World Health Organization (WHO), there are already three companies in the United States conducting human vaccine experiments, but they are all in the first or second stage of the experiment.
Zhong Nanshan said that there are currently three kinds of vaccines in human trials in PRC, but the "perfect" vaccine may only appear after "years". "We have to use different vaccines to test again and again." So I think It will take a long time for the vaccine to get final approval. "
Denial of business endorsement
Zhong Nanshan, who was accused of selling advertisements for corporate products such as An Muxi and Lianhua Qingwen, told Red Star News yesterday that there were too many similar rumors. He never spoke for any company or product. "How can I do those things?" What does that have to do with my business?" Therefore, he did not care about the allegations and he did not care.
Source : Apple Daily,
https://hk.appledaily.com/china/20200517/55GM75BZ7MP7MJRPJ45VYVKHHQ/
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Image : Apple Daily.
Zhong Nanshan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, was interviewed by CNN on Saturday (17 May 2020) and warned that China is still facing the "great challenge" of the second wave of the pandemic because most people lack group immunity. He also confirmed that the local government of Wuhan concealed key information at the beginning of the epidemic, but claimed that after the central government of Beijing took over the leading fight against the epidemic in late January, the official data were true. He also warned that the second wave of outbreak crises in the mainland is getting bigger.
According to reports, from late January to early February, the number of confirmed diagnoses of pneumonia in Wuhan in China has exploded, and the number of daily confirmed diagnoses has dropped to two digits a month later. The current epidemic is generally under control and people's lives have gradually returned to normal. However, Zhong Nanshan said that the Chinese authorities should not be complacent, because the risk of the two outbreaks is getting higher and higher, and cluster infections have recently occurred in Wuhan, Heilongjiang and Jilin. Zhong Nanshan said that most Chinese people are still susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 due to lack of antibodies. "At present, we are facing no fewer huge challenges than foreign countries."
Zhong Nanshan said that he led researchers to Wuhan on 18 January to investigate the epidemic. At that time, he received calls from many doctors and past students, warning him that the situation in Wuhan was much more serious than officials said. "The local government did not want to tell the truth at the time," Zhong Nanshan said. "They remained silent at the beginning of the outbreak, and then I think there may be a large number of people infected."
Zhong Nanshan said that at that time, the number of diagnoses officially announced by Wuhan was maintained at 41 for more than ten days, but the number of overseas diagnoses began to increase, so he became suspicious about the number of covid cases. He commented, "I think they are very reluctant to answer my question."
After returning to Beijing, he learned on 20 January 2020 that the number of official diagnoses in Wuhan had increased to 198, including 3 deaths and 13 medical infections. At the meeting that day with the Chinese Premier of the State Council and other central government officials, he proposed to close Wuhan to stop the spread of the virus.
The Beijing authorities closed Wuhan on 23 January 2020, cancelled all flights, trains, and buses, and blocked major highways; the closure of the city was only lifted 76 days later. Wuhan Mayor Zhou Xianwang admitted in an interview with CCTV on 27 January 27 that the information disclosure was "untimely". He said, "As a local government, I can only disclose it after I have been authorized."
CNN reported that although Zhong Nanshan admitted that Wuhan had under-reported the number of diagnoses at the beginning of the epidemic, it did not recognize that the central government had under-reported after taking over Wuhan's epidemic prevention in late January.
Zhong Nanshan pointed out that when SARS broke out 17 years ago, the Chinese authorities concealed part of the epidemic “for as long as two or three months”. This time they have learned a lesson from SARS. The number of infected patients will be punished if someone fails to do so. " Zhong Nanshan said that since 23 January 2020, "I think all the data are correct."
According to data reported by the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the mainland as of 15 May was nearly 83,000, and 4,633 deaths. Statistics from Johns Hopkins University show that as of 16 May, 1.46 million people have been diagnosed and more than 88,000 people have died. The number of deaths in the United States has exceeded the number of infected people in China.
Zhong Nanshan said he was surprised by the number of diagnoses and deaths in the United States. He believes that some western countries failed to take seriously the threat of SARS-CoV-2 in the early stage of the epidemic.He commented, "I think some European countries, and perhaps the United States, think that the disease is similar to flu, which is wrong."
Zhong Nanshan disagreed with US President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo’s claim that the virus came from the Wuhan Institute of Viology, noting that Shi Zhengli, a scholar at the Wuhan Virus Research Institute, was his friend, and that the virus was produced by the institute and leaked. He repeatedly asked Shi Zhengli and the reply is always "this statement is too ridiculous, she has never done anything like that. She said that with their current equipment and manpower ... it is impossible to make artificial viruses."
Zhong Nanshan claimed that the Chinese Center for Disease Prevention & Control had spent two weeks in early February investigating whether Shi Zhengli's laboratory had made a mistake, but found no results.
At present, the world is actively developing virus vaccines. According to information from the World Health Organization (WHO), there are already three companies in the United States conducting human vaccine experiments, but they are all in the first or second stage of the experiment.
Zhong Nanshan said that there are currently three kinds of vaccines in human trials in PRC, but the "perfect" vaccine may only appear after "years". "We have to use different vaccines to test again and again." So I think It will take a long time for the vaccine to get final approval. "
Denial of business endorsement
Zhong Nanshan, who was accused of selling advertisements for corporate products such as An Muxi and Lianhua Qingwen, told Red Star News yesterday that there were too many similar rumors. He never spoke for any company or product. "How can I do those things?" What does that have to do with my business?" Therefore, he did not care about the allegations and he did not care.
Source : Apple Daily,
https://hk.appledaily.com/china/20200517/55GM75BZ7MP7MJRPJ45VYVKHHQ/
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