BEIJING, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's National Health Commission on Saturday announced that no new infectious diseases caused by new viruses or bacteria have been identified this ongoing winter, and that the acute respiratory diseases currently being reported in the country have all been caused by known pathogens.
Citing monitoring results, commission spokesperson Mi Feng made the remarks in Beijing during a press conference that was also attended by other health officials.
Chinese health authorities are actively monitoring and assessing winter respiratory diseases, with efforts underway to optimize medical resource allocation, improve medical treatment processes, and enhance the role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in treatment, Mi said.
SERVICE SUPPLY INCREASES
China is expanding its supply of medical services to meet the needs of the people -- particularly pediatric outpatient services at all medical institution levels, including TCM hospitals and maternal and child health institutions, the official said.
This expansion will involve extending outpatient service hours to lunchtimes, evenings and weekends, based on patient numbers, as well as increasing hospital bed capacities and streamlining registration, examination and payment processes to improve public access to medical care.
Mi also emphasized a guarantee of medical supplies.
The utilization of TCM and the integration of Chinese and Western approaches to medicine are being advocated to enhance the prevention and treatment of common winter respiratory diseases, he said.
Measures are also being taken to ensure the supply of influenza vaccines and other vaccines, with a focus on early vaccination for key groups such as the elderly and children to reduce the risk of illness, according to the official.
CURRENT DRUGS EFFECTIVE
Influenza viruses are prone to mutation, which poses a challenge to the prevention and control of influenza.
Addressing the issue of virus mutation at the press conference, Wang Dayan, head of the Chinese National Influenza Center under the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said the situation is being closely monitored.
"The results have shown that the antiviral drugs in use are effective against the influenza viruses," Wang said, noting that Chinese National Influenza Center, in collaboration with various laboratories worldwide, has been monitoring the sensitivity of influenza viruses to antiviral drugs.
On the compatibility of prevalent viruses and vaccines, Wang said that China's dominant influenza virus subtypes this winter are influenza A (H3N2) and influenza B, unchanged from last year, and they are also consistent with the dominant strains circulating in most regions around the world.
She emphasized the importance of getting vaccinated, especially for high-risk groups such as the elderly, children and those working in public places. "Vaccination can effectively reduce the risk of infection, illness and severe complications." ■
