China must adhere to dynamic zero-COVID approach: health expert

BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua)-- A Chinese health expert Friday stressed that China must stick to the dynamic zero-COVID approach.

Omicron BA.2 sub-variant spreads rapidly and will infect many people in a short time. It can still cause severe perils to a country or region, said Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, at a press conference.

China's COVID-19 prevention and control practice has proved that the dynamic zero-COVID approach is still the most economical and effective strategy for COVID-19 control, said Wu.

Noting the difficulty in identifying asymptomatic carriers, Wu said that big data and an updated monitoring model, which combines antigen screening with nucleic acid testing, can help find asymptomatic carriers early and cut the transmission chain.