Is the standardized nucleic acid for epidemic detection in COVID-19 reasonable?

Why do we need to detect normalized nucleic acids?

The key to the prevention and control of epidemic situation in COVID-19 is to achieve "four early", one of which is early detection. Nucleic acid detection is an important means of early detection, especially the gold standard for judging infected people.

At the press conference of the State Council Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism held on September 8th, regarding normalized nucleic acid detection, Da Li Chuan, deputy director of National Health Commission Medical Administration and Hospital Authority, introduced that in areas without epidemic situation, normalized nucleic acid detection should be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the ninth edition of the prevention and control plan, and the epidemic situation should be monitored and early warned, and preparations should be made for nucleic acid detection in accordance with the third edition of the Guidelines for Organizing and Implementing Regional Nucleic Acid Detection.

The novel coronavirus Prevention and Control Plan (Ninth Edition) and the COVID-19 Epidemic Risk Area Delineation and Control Plan stipulate different requirements for nucleic acid detection in different risk areas:

High-risk area: three consecutive tests were conducted in the first three days after the implementation of closed control, two full-time nucleic acid tests were completed on 1 and 3 days, and one antigen test was conducted the next day. The frequency of subsequent tests can be determined according to the test results; Within 24 hours before deregulation, full-time nucleic acid detection should be completed in this area.

Medium-risk area: three consecutive tests were carried out in the first three days after the implementation of control, two full-time nucleic acid tests were completed on the third and third days, and one antigen test was carried out on the second day. The frequency of subsequent tests can be determined according to the test results; Within 24 hours before deregulation, full-time nucleic acid detection should be completed in this area.

Low-risk area: scientifically determine the population range and frequency of nucleic acid detection in low-risk area according to the risk assessment results of epidemic spread and the management of risk personnel.

As for why the normalized nucleic acid detection should be carried out in areas where there is no epidemic, the National Health and Family Planning Commission has also publicly introduced that the characteristics of Omicron mutants make it difficult for some early infected people to be found. The Omicron cluster epidemic that occurred in many places in the early stage has been found and has been hidden in the community for some time, which has brought difficulties to the prevention and control work.

In epidemic prevention and control measures, nucleic acid detection is a key and effective means to quickly find the source of infection, lock the control target, and then take measures such as isolation to cut off the transmission route, which has played an important "weapon" role in the successful disposal of previous clustered epidemics. Especially in Jilin, Shanghai, Beijing and other places to effectively deal with the Omicron mutant epidemic this year, the role of nucleic acid detection is more prominent. Therefore, we must unswervingly implement the strategy of "expanding prevention with nucleic acid detection as the center" in order to deal with the epidemic better and more effectively.

Carrying out normalized nucleic acid detection in areas with no epidemic situation but high input risk will help improve the sensitivity of epidemic situation monitoring and early warning, weave epidemic situation monitoring network, find potential risks earlier and better implement the requirements of "four early"; At the same time, it is beneficial to provide more convenient and fast nucleic acid detection services for the examinee and the examinee. Therefore, all localities can carry out normalized nucleic acid testing according to the needs of local epidemic prevention and control.