Advertisement
Omicron likely to enter China but expert confident zero-Covid strategy will block transmission
- Xu Wenbo, head of the National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, says mainstream Covid-19 tests will detect variant
- Workers in contact with countries with outbreaks, or in hotels and airports associated with imported cases, should be subject to strict protocols, says Xu
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
55
The Omicron coronavirus variant is likely to enter China, but mainstream tests will be able to detect any cases, and the country’s zero-Covid response will block community transmission, according to a senior public health official.
Advertisement
“Omicron was present not only in Africa but also [many countries outside Africa] and might possibly have spread in the community, which means the variant has a high chance of being introduced to China,” Xu Wenbo, head of the National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention under the China CDC, told state broadcaster China Central Television on Monday night.
But, because of the design of China’s coronavirus tests, the variant would be detected, he said.
Tests on swabs of saliva or nasal samples look for specific markers in the genetic material to identify the presence of the coronavirus as an indicator of infection. Usually, two or more such markers are searched to ensure the match is correct.
02:28
What do we know about the new coronavirus variant Omicron?
What do we know about the new coronavirus variant Omicron?
Tests designed to recognise markers in the spike protein, which plays a key role in allowing the virus to enter human cells, may report a false negative because the Omicron variant features a large number of mutations on the spike that tests may not recognise as the virus being tested.
Advertisement
Advertisement