Zhang Wenhong. Photo: VCG

Shanghai should prepare for a scenario where the number of COVID-19 cases might surge five or 10 times the current level, as global efforts in fighting the pandemic has been waning and tiring, suggested China's Dr. Fauci, Zhang Wenhong. He added that the preparations should include drills for such a situation and enhance building up medical and technological platform for dealing with COVID-19. 

In a suggestion to the Shanghai government during the city's just concluded two sessions, Zhang, a well-respected infectious disease expert in Shanghai, said that the new variant Omicron is sweeping the world with unprecedented speed, many sources of China's Omicron cases also remain unknown.

What is alarming is that since the symptoms caused by Omicron are mild, has let many countries, especially those whose case numbers have been driven to historical high by Omicron, began to think it is meaningless to tell their citizens to continue wearing masks and pushing for booster shots. This will have a huge impact on the Chinese people, warned Zhang. 

He also said that global efforts in fighting COVID-19 are also beginning to wane because high vaccination rate has rendered mild symptoms of COVID-19. Many countries have already listed roadmaps of loosening restrictions. 

He warned that China will face a huge risk of imported cases and local infections facing such situation. 

In dealing with such new threat, Zhang suggested Shanghai prepare for a scenario of a caseload of five or 10 times higher than the current level. Zhang said the local government should map out plans for quarantine rooms, epidemiological investigation, nucleic acid testing and materials for quarantined area. 

He said that the number of COVID-19 cases could reach 500 when Shanghai faces a severe situation. Currently Shanghai's imported case number has already peaked, it needs to prepare for more and even the situation where the city has both imported and local transmitted cases, and to extend training of classified treatment as well as preparation of materials for grassroot medical institutions. 

After the COVID-19 outbreak, China has pointed several cities as first entry point for international arrivals to better manage imported cases, Shanghai is the city which received most international flights. 

Global Times