The Beijing Municipal Health Commission said on Wednesday that all experiments related to COVID-19 must be approved in advance by local or national health authorities, emphasizing that unauthorized tests and research are strictly prohibited. The health commission cited a recent notice released by the National Health Commission on the need to further enhance biosecurity measures involving the novel coronavirus. Laboratory …

The current COVID-19 epidemic wave in China has ended, and the virus did not rebound significantly during the Spring Festival holiday, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said recently. Furthermore, no new virus mutations were identified during the recent epidemic, the Chinese CDC said in a report dated on Jan 25. The report compiled national surveillance data on …

Local authorities can limit the scale, duration and frequency of events including fairs, weddings and funerals to control COVID-19 in rural areas, according to a guideline released on Wednesday. Issued by the State Council’s Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism, the country’s COVID-19 control task force, the guideline asked local governments to step up their management of key venues and events …

BEIJING — A total of 13 types of COVID-19 vaccines, approved for conditional marketing or emergency use, are now available as a second booster dose in China, according to experts with the State Council inter-agency task force for COVID-19 response. Omicron-resistant vaccines are preferred in choosing second booster doses, said experts with the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism …

China has optimized its COVID-19 response measures at the right time, amid the reduced fatality rate of the Omicron variant and the increased preparedness of the nation’s healthcare system, experts said over the weekend. They cautioned that the country will face “waves of COVID-19 infection” through winter, but added that the overall epidemic situation is controllable and a return to …

Influenza (flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 (coronavirus) and the flu have many similarities and differences. The only way to truly diagnose whether you have the flu or COVID-19 is through testing. But knowing the symptoms of each can help you determine what to do next. Below, we provide an …

BEIJING — China released a circular on further optimizing the COVID-19 response on Wednesday, announcing 10 prevention and control measures. The measures were introduced based on the latest epidemic situation and mutation of the virus to contain the epidemic in a more science-based and targeted manner, according to the circular issued by the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism …

Authorities will accelerate the lifting of unnecessary restrictions put in place after the recent Omicron-fueled outbreaks to reduce the disease control strategies’ economic fallout and other resulting “inconveniences”, a senior health official said on Tuesday, amid a surge of public displeasure toward the distorted enforcement of containment policies. National Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng said local governments are racing to …

COVID-19 and allergies share some similar symptoms, but there are indicators of COVID-19 that are distinct and highly unlikely to be caused by allergies. Fever and shortness of breath are serious symptoms of COVID-19 that are rarely related to allergies. One study reported that 98% of participants with COVID-19 had a fever, and 55% experienced shortness of breath. Here are …

RT-PCR Test means real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test. RT-PCR test procedure is used for detecting nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab specimens from people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. This is accomplished by utilising fluorescence to monitor the amplification reaction, a technique known as quantitative PCR (qPCR). It allows professionals to immediately review the …

China will cut COVID-19 quarantine period for incoming travelers from 10 to 8 days, cancel the circuit breaker for inbound flights and no longer determine secondary close contacts of confirmed cases, health authorities said on Friday. Categories of COVID-risk areas will be adjusted to high and low, from the old tertiary standards of high, medium and low, according to a …

On October 13, at the press conference of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council, Liang Wannian, head of the expert group of the National Health Commission’s Leading Group for Epidemic Response and Disposal, said that the key to the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic is “early detection”, and nucleic acid testing is the key …