China: Transcript Of National Health Commission Conference On Novel Coronavirus

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New, likely preliminary, but nonetheless interesting information is coming out of a press conference held this morning in China by their National Health Commission, and featuring:

• Deputy Director of the National Health and Health Committee Li Bin 
• Director of the Emergency Management Office of the National Health and Health Committee Xu Shuqiang 
• National Medical and Health Committee Jiao Yahui 
• Director of the Administration, Gao Fu, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

The full transcript (in Chinese, but easily translated) is located at:

Transcript of the press conference of the State Council Information Office on January 22, 2020

The full transcript is far too long to post here, and much of it has to do with China's response to date, and a multi-part plan for moving forward.  About halfway in, we get reporter's questions and answers - particularly from the Director of the Chinese CDC Gao Fu - that provide new information about the virus itself.

Specifically, he describes the outbreak as having begun as an animal-to-human spillover at the Wuhan Seafood Market, but that has now progressed into human-to-human transmission after the virus acquired host adaptations. 

Japanese TV reporter:

Just now, Mr. Gao fu said that the virus is still in the process of continuous awareness, please tell us about the current understanding of the virus, such as the source of the virus, the incubation period of how long, the risk factor is how big, especially for children and young people how big the risk factor. Thank you. 2020-01-22 11:27:13

Gao fu:

Just now we also introduced that we are in a cognitive process of this virus, it now appears that in many ways it has some common characteristics when the coronavirus appears, but this virus also shows some of its own characteristics, including its source.
What we already know is that for the source of the virus, we are now focused on a market where there is a trade in wildlife, so the source may be wild animals and the environment it pollutes.

At first it's just animal-to-human transmission, and then the virus is doing adaptation mutations, adapting to the host. Everyone has seen Disney's "Cats and Rats" and the relationship between viruses and humans is like a cat-and-mouse game, adapting to each other. 

At this stage, there has been a human-to-human phenomenon, and some community transmission has occurred. So, it went through three processes. For now, it's coming from wild animals sold in the seafood market, and the wild animal's virus is getting used to it, which is also in line with human perceptions of the coronavirus.

 Of course, I've started to say that there is still a need for further research over time, as you just said, about how it affects children and younger people, and how it does n'go of current epidemiology and current cognition. Thank you. 2020-01-22 11:27:59

The concern whenever we see long chains of human transmission is that the virus will acquire even more host adaptations which can improve its ability to spread, or cause more severe disease.

A (translated) report overnight form ScienceNet.cn goes provides more detail on the NHC meeting, including the declaration of a `major-level emergency response'.

The new coronavirus comes from wild animals, younger people are less susceptible to feeling.
BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Li Yanan Huang Weiqin) against the new coronavirus infection in Wuhan, Hubei Province, the source of pneumonia, experts confirmed on the 22nd, the source of the virus is the seafood market for wildlife. As far as current epidemiological perceptions are concerned, children and younger people are not easily felt.

China's State Council Information Office held a press conference on the 22nd to introduce the new coronavirus infection pneumonia prevention and control work related to the situation, the Chinese Academy of Sciences academician, the Director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention Gao Fu said that the virus in many aspects of the emergence of coronavirus when some common characteristics, but also show their own characteristics.

 The source of the virus may be the wild animals in the market and the environment it pollutes. At first it was animal-to-human transmission, and then the virus was making adaptation to the host, and now there is a human-to-human phenomenon, and there have been some community spread.

'The relationship between viruses and humans is like a cat-and-mouse game, adapting to each other, ' says Mr. Goff. It went through three processes and is in line with human perceptions of this coronavirus, and of course it needs to be further studied.

Chinese officials have incorporated pneumonia from the new coronavirus infection into Class B management control. Xu Shuqiang, director of the emergency response office of the National Health And Health Council, explained that this means that local, various departments and various medical and health institutions at all levels can take the legal procedure for screening fever patients, isolated treatment of confirmed and suspected cases, isolation medical observation of close contacts, and other more stringent prevention and control measures to effectively control the spread of the epidemic.

In the early morning of the 22nd, the Hubei Provincial People's Government issued a "Notice on Strengthening the Prevention and Control of New Coronary Virus Infection pneumonia" and decided to initiate the emergency response of public health emergency II, that is, the emergency response of a major public health emergency, under the unified leadership and command of the provincial people's government.

Xu Shuqiang said that after the start of the major-level emergency response, measures can be taken: emergency mobilization and collection of related personnel, materials, transportation and related facilities and equipment, on-site isolation, identification and blockade of the epidemic area, to ensure emergency treatment of the necessary material funds. Organization of patients and their close contacts in isolation, patient treatment and evacuation, timely publicity and guidance of public opinion, if necessary, the State Council may be asked to support, to ensure the smooth handling of public health emergencies. (Complete)