China Confirms No Swine Flu Pandemic

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The swine flu virus containing genotype 4 (G4) is claimed incapable of causing a pandemic. The claim was made following the result of research conducted by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) which was published on Friday, July 3, 2020.

The research revealed that the risks of a swine flu pandemic caused by mutation of the H1N1 swine flu virus, which spreads back in 2009, is not increasing. According to the China CDC, the virus can infect humans, but it does not have the ability to transmit from human to human such as the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused Covid-19 disease.

The possibility of the general public being infected by swine flu as published in the National Science Academy Proceeding (PNAS) in June 29, 2020, is also very low. "However it is still necessary to maintain the cleanliness of each person and the environment in daily lives and to avoid direct contact with cattle, poultry, and wild animals," according to the China CDC.

The China CDC publication was released at the same time as the Beijing government start to relax security in relation to the potential second wave of Covid-19. People living in low-risks areas in Beijing no longer need test results to leave the capital as of Saturday, July 4, 2020.

The local government claimed that the second wave of Covid-19 has been successfully controlled along with a decreasing number of new cases. Beijing recorded only two nes cases of Covid-19 infection last Thursday, a number significantly lower compared to the 36 cases recorded in the early period of the second wave that started on June 11, 2020. The country has recorded a total of 331 cases currently.

ANTARA