The Virus Variant Woes

By Yuan Yuan

After over 20 days of zero domestic COVID-19 cases， a newly emerging cluster is sounding the alarm across China.

Locally transmitted cases had been reported in 17 provincial regions in the country as of August 4， according to the National Health Commission （NHC）.

China had 144 medium- and high-risk regions for COVID-19， said NHC spokesperson Mi Feng on August 4. That is a record high since the infections in Wuhan of Hubei Province were contained last spring， according to him.

Currently， there are four high-risk regions， respectively in Jiangsus Nanjing and Yangzhou， Yunnans Ruili and Henans Zhengzhou. The first batch of cases in the new cluster was confirmed in Nanjing on July 20.

Authorities at all levels are currently working to cut the chain of transmission. As of August 1， Nanjing had completed three rounds of nucleic acid testing on all residents.

Massive testing is still being conducted， and other rigorous anti-epidemic measures such as travel restrictions are put in place. Zhangjiajie， a city famed for its eponymous scenic spot in Hunan Province issued an order on August 3， forbidding all residents and visitors to leave the area. The Beijing Municipal Government decided to cancel large-scale exhibitions and events scheduled for August after several new locally transmitted cases were confirmed.

Rapid transmission

The havoc was found to have started on July 10， when a passenger on an inbound flight from Russia tested positive for the Delta variant of COVID-19 after arriving at Lukou International Airport in Nanjing. Evidence suggests that， after having been brought onto the flight by the passenger， the virus may have then infected people who cleaned the cabin after its arrival in Nanjing. An investigation later revealed the cleaners failed to strictly adhere to hygiene and clothes-change protocols.

To make things worse， the cleaners， all from outsourcing companies， also cleaned domestic flights. Infected cleaners from the international flight were found to have had contact with the cleaners of domestic flights and further transmitted the virus to other airport workers.

On July 20， regular nucleic acid testing of airport staff uncovered 17 cases of the Delta variant， including nine confirmed cases and eight asymptomatic carriers.

After the cases were discovered， authorities in Nanjing immediately conducted nucleic acid testing of all of the citys residents， and instructed them not to leave the city unless it was necessary. On July 24， the first round of testing was completed on over 9.2 million Nanjing residents， discovering 74 positive cases.