China's optimized COVID-19 strategy is a planned, science-based approach
China DailyA medical worker in a protective suit adjusts a monitoring device for a patient at the fever clinics of the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University. Meanwhile, the Chinese term for COVID-19 was changed from "novel coronavirus pneumonia" to "novel coronavirus infection" -- as the prevalent omicron strains are seen to cause symptoms confined mainly to the upper respiratory tract. Three years on, China has effectively coped with over 100 COVID-19 epidemic outbreaks and managed to keep its incidence rate, severe illness rate and mortality rate at the world's lowest level, saving numerous lives. Weakened pathogenicity, a high vaccination rate and the accumulation of experience, have allowed China's epidemic prevention and control policy to enter a new stage. "The current focus of the response has been shifted from infection prevention to medical treatment," said Liang Wannian, head of the COVID-19 response expert panel under the National Health Commission, adding that the utmost efforts will be made to prevent severe cases and fatalities.