Recently, local COVID-19 cases have appeared in Shijiazhuang, Heilongjiang and other places, and the epidemic dynamics have once again affected people's hearts. Experts said that the global surge of COVID-19-19 cases may be related to the variation of COVID-19.

　　·On December 14, 2020, the UK reported a COVID-19 variant named VOC 202012 / 01 to the WHO. Its S protein contained the n501y mutation, which initially appeared in southeast England.

　　·Four days later, South Africa reported another COVID-19 variant, which has e484k and k417n mutations in addition to n501y mutation of S protein.

　　·On January 10, 2021, Japan detected a new variant of COVID-19, which was different from that in Britain and South Africa.

　　There are four main concerns about the mutation of COVID-19:

　　1. Is the pathogenicity and transmissibility of COVID-19 stronger after it mutates?

　　According to the research of WHO, these two virus variants in Britain and South Africa have stronger transmission, but they do not mean that they will increase the severity of the disease. On the contrary, the proportion of asymptomatic infections is increasing. However, the infectivity, symptoms and vaccine resistance of the new variant strains in Japan have not yet been determined.

　　2. Does the mutant virus affect the accuracy of existing nucleic acid detection?

　　Feng Zijian, deputy director of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said: The two probes selected for nucleic acid detection in China do not contain mutation regions, so they can still effectively detect viruses. 'The positions of the two probes are relatively conservative, and there is no decrease in detection sensitivity at present.'.

　　The so-called [probe] is a key component for detecting the nucleic acid of COVID-19. If the probe region is mutated, the detection of the mutated strain may be missed. However, the probe design of nucleic acid detection reagents generally selects conservative sections, that is, nucleic acid sequences that are less prone to mutation, to ensure the detection rate.

　　3. Does the existing vaccine still work if the virus mutates?

　　Most people react to the vaccine by producing a series of antibodies that disable the virus by disrupting different parts of the virus. Therefore, even if some of the antibodies produced by the vaccine may be ineffective due to virus mutation, other antibodies are unlikely to be affected. Overall, the effect of the mutant virus on the vaccine may be minimal.

　　The chief expert of the immunization program of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said at the press conference of the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council: the current research results show that the variation of COVID-19 is within the normal range, and there is no impact on the vaccine effect.

　　Academician Chen Wei of the Chinese Academy of Engineering pointed out that no matter how fast the new coronavirus mutates, it is also in the category of novel coronavirus. At present, big data research is developing rapidly. Once a new mutation appears, it can find the common target antigen, pathogenesis or receptor through bioinformatics or big data mining, which can quickly guide the improvement of vaccines.

　　Zhang Wenhong also said that virus mutation is a natural phenomenon. As expected, China's disease control has systematically monitored all virus strains. 'For the mutated virus, there will be no clinical specificity, and the transmission may be slightly increased. However, the current isolation measures and quarantine methods are very effective, and the escape effect of the vaccine has not been found at present, nor will the probability.'

　　4. Most of the new cases after virus mutation are asymptomatic infections. Is there no harm if there are no symptoms?

　　Asymptomatic infected people, as the name implies, are COVID-19 infected people without any symptoms, that is, they have no obvious clinical symptoms, such as fever, cough, muscle weakness, etc. there are also no imaging changes in the lungs, but the nucleic acid test is positive.

　　According to experts, asymptomatic infections fall into two categories:

　　One is the confirmed patients with COVID-19, who are only in the incubation period and have no symptoms, and need to be screened out and included in the management of confirmed cases;

　　The other group has no symptoms, no image changes, and is a real asymptomatic infected person. They are not patients, but positive for nucleic acid test.

　　Although asymptomatic infected persons have no symptoms themselves, they are already virus carriers, and they are still the source of virus transmission, but the virus has no obvious symptoms on them. However, when the virus is transferred from asymptomatic infected people to other people, especially the elderly and other groups with low immunity, it is likely to become symptomatic infected people.

　　In fact, the virus mutation is not a unique phenomenon of COVID-19. For example, the seasonal influenza virus, which is familiar to all, also mutates frequently. Scientists must regularly develop new vaccines every year to inoculate relevant people. However, the mutation speed of COVID-19 is much slower than that of influenza virus, so we don't need to be overly anxious or alarmist.

　　Responding to the COVID-19 epidemic requires everyone's efforts. Our efforts begin with caring for our delicate lungs!

　　PM2.5, second-hand smoke, dust mites, bacteria, viruses... Our lungs are unconsciously bearing too much! How to do a good job in daily lung care management? Several respiratory experts jointly recommended the use of rock salt aerosol therapeutic instrument~

　　The first research and development of Kuancheng Technology in China, Sinashu Salts Sol Therapeutic Apparatus uses non drug therapy from nature to prevent, treat and improve respiratory diseases and regulate immunity. It has been used in many general hospitals and rehabilitation hospitals within and outside the province in the respiratory department, rehabilitation department, pediatric department and other departments, and is widely respected by doctors and patients.　　

　　(The picture shows the Lung Transplantation Rehabilitation Hospital of Wuxi First People's Hospital)