上海交大赵大海关于新冠疫情第52次在电视台访谈评论：病毒变异不会影响新冠疫苗的有效性

上海交通大学国际与公共事务学院博士生导师、上海交通大学-耶鲁大学卫生政策联合研究中心执行主任赵大海，自新冠肺炎疫情暴发以来，对于新冠疫情暴发、防控以及医疗卫生体制改革第32次在中央电视台进行直播访谈评论，也是第52次在央视、上视进行访谈评论。在2020年9月20日，赵大海在中央电视台英语频道的《今日世界》节目，就亚欧多国新冠第二轮暴发、秋季流感与新冠疫情双重防控、病毒变异对新冠疫苗有效性的影响等话题进行了直播访谈评论。现将访谈内容翻译并摘录如下。

主持人：欧洲和亚洲一些国家和城市已经重启或即将重启隔离封锁措施来应对新冠疫情的第二轮暴发。除了隔离封锁措施之外，控制新冠疫情最重要的措施是什么？

赵大海：首先，封锁隔离措施必须要严格。虽然有几个国家正计划重启封锁隔离措施，但这些国家试图在经济发展与抗击新冠疫情之间找到平衡的办法。然而，一些国家的失败经验表明，只有实行严格的封锁隔离措施，将抗击新冠疫情作为全国最高优先工作，新冠疫情才能得到控制。其次，筛查所有重点人群是遏制病毒的重要措施。中国的成功经验表明：通过大面积的重点人群核酸检测来筛检新冠病人，所有确诊病例都安置在定点医院以及隔离所有密切接触者，是新冠疫情在较早阶段得到控制的重要举措。第三，疫苗注射是另一种选择。据了解，一些国家已经储备了紧急状况之下的新冠疫苗。如果这些国家正在经历第二波新冠大流行，可以考虑为重点人群注射疫苗，譬如医务人员。

主持人：我们很快就要进入秋季流感暴发季节了。我们如何同时应对流感和新冠肺炎？

赵大海：首先，考虑到流感和新冠肺炎在临床症状上的相似性，卫生行政部门需要为所有医生和普通老百姓进行相关的科普宣传，并尽快发布关于两类疾病鉴别诊断的方法。此外，所有公共卫生机构和医院必须建立起快速的反应和解决机制以应对这两类大流行的可能暴发。第二，针对全国范围内易感人群的流感疫苗注射是一个重要的举措。众所周知，流感疫苗是预防流感大流行的最佳方法。因此，医务人员、老年人和学生等群体可考虑注射流感疫苗。第三，继续加强对从境外人员和货物入境的严格新冠病毒防范措施。考虑到最近一个月整个中国大陆已没有新的本土新冠确诊病例，如果我们继续采取严格的防控境外输入，将大大减少同时面对流感和新冠双重大流行的可能性。

主持人：许多国家已进入新冠疫苗的三期临床试验阶段，您认为病毒的变异会影响目前疫苗的有效性吗？

赵大海：我不这么认为。据我所知，新冠病毒的变异对研发中疫苗的影响是可以忽略不计的。首先，通过世界上大多数国家的超过十万个新冠病毒基因序列的分析结果，新冠病毒基因序列的关键部位是相对稳定的，病毒的突变和变异部分与病毒关键部位距离较远。第二，新冠疫苗的三期临床试验在多个国家已得到了检验。譬如，一款中国研发的新冠疫苗在中国、阿联酋、阿根廷等多个国家的三期临床试验检测之后，均被证实是安全和有效的。众所周知，新冠病毒在这些不同国家是存在变异的。

供稿者：国务学院

日期：2020年9月21日

Dahai Zhao' 52th comments on TV during the Pandemic: Virus Mutation Does Not Affect the Effectiveness of the COVID-19 Vaccine

Dahai Zhao, a doctoral supervisor at the School of International and Public Affairs of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Executive Director of Shanghai Jiao Tong University-Yale University Joint Research Center for Health Policy, has been interviewed by CGTN for the 32nd time (the 52nd time by CGTN / ShanghaiTV) since the COVID-19 pandemic. On September 20, 2020, Zhao commented on topics covered include the second wave of COVID-19 in many countries in Asia and Europe, the dual control of influenza and COVID-19 in autumn, and the impact of virus variation on the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines on “The World Today” of CGTN. 

Anchor: several countries and cities have returned or are planning to return to lockdowns due to rising cases. Apart from lockdowns, what’s the most important measures to contain the virus?

Zhao: First, the lockdown measure should be stringent. Although a couple of countries are planning to return to lockdowns, these countries try to make a balance between economy development and combating COVID-19. The failure experiences from some countries show that only stringent lockdown policy, and making combating COVID-19 as national top priority, the pandemic can be under control. Second, screening for all key population is an important measure to contain the virus. Through China’s successful experience, screening for all key population through nucleic acid test and making all confirmed cases are treated in designated hospitals and all close contacts are isolated is an important and effective measure to control the virus at relatively early stage of the pandemic. Third, the vaccine shot is another choice. As far as known, some countries have prepared the COVID-19 vaccine for the emergency. If these countries which are during the second wave pandemic, vaccine shot may be considered for key population such as healthcare workers. 

Anchor: we are entering flu season soon. How do we cope with flu and COVID-19 at the same time?First, considering the similarity between flu and COVID-19 on clinical symptoms, The Health Departments need to make the popular science education for all physicians and common citizens, and publish related document to identify the two viruses as fast as possible. In addition, all public health organizations and hospitals must build a fast response and preparation mechanism for the potential double pandemics. Second, the flu vaccine should be taken for key population in the whole country. It is well known that flu vaccine is the best method to prevent the flu pandemic. Therefore, healthcare workers, senior people, students, may be considered to take flu shot. Third, stringent preventive measures of combating COVID-19 should be continued to conduct for the imported people and all goods from outside of China. Considering there are no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the whole Chinese Mainland in the last one month, if we continue to conduct the stringent measures to prevent imported infection, it will dramatically decrease the probability of facing the double pandemics of flu and COVID-19.

Anchor: Many countries have entered Phase 3 trial of a vaccine to fight the virus. Do you think the mutation of the virus will affect the current vaccines’ effectiveness? 

Zhao: I do not think so. As far as I know, the variations of the COVID-19 virus have a neglectable impact on the potential Vaccine. First, through the more than 100 thousand gene sequences of COVID-19 virus from most countries in the world, the key part of the gene sequence of the virus is relatively stable, the mutation and the variations of the virus is far away from the key part. Second, the vaccines during the Phrase 3 trial have been tested in many countries. For example, one of the vaccines from China which was tested in a couple of countries such as China, UAE, Argentina, has been confirmed safety and effectiveness among different countries. It is well known that the variations of the virus exist in these different countries. Therefore, I think the mutation and variation of the virus will not affect the vaccine’s effectiveness.

Contributor: SIPA, SJTU

Data: September 21, 2020