Passengers wearing masks are seen on Subway Line 5 in Beijing on Jan 28, 2020. [Photo by Wang Jing/China Daily]

Q5. What's the point of extending the Spring Festival holiday? Is there a need to further extend the holiday?

A:It's a very important strategy to control respiratory infectious disease with human-to-human transmission by reducing the flow of people and personal contact, as well as increasing interpersonal distance. Chinese authorities extended the Lunar New Year holiday as a key measure to control the spread of the novel coronavirus.

There is no doubt that the longer the holidays are, the better control of the epidemic will be. But we also have to balance things because people still have to live and work, and emergency materials have to be produced and transported.

The prevention and control of infectious diseases need to take both sides into consideration. On the one hand, we have to take measures to block the spread of the epidemic. On the other hand, we have to minimize the impact on people's lives, as well as social and economic impacts.

Q6. Is it necessary for all people to isolate themselves for 14 days after returning to workplaces?

A: It's necessary for people who returned from Hubei province where there are severe infections to self-isolate at home for 14 days.

For those from other places where there is no obvious community transmission, it's sufficient to take self-protection measures, such as wearing a mask at work, taking your temperature frequently, and seeking medical treatment in a timely manner.