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Written by: Zhu Haiqi
2021-05-09 16:39
Last update date: 2021-05-09 16:40
Variant new coronaviruses have strong spreading power, and French virus strains can even evade detection and have the opportunity to leak confirmed patients.
Some scholars said that the variants of the French virus strains are different from those of the British, Indian and South African variants seen in Hong Kong.
Yu Changhai, chairman of the Bureau of Testing and Certification, is worried that the current nucleic acid testing reagents may not be able to detect variant viruses or lead to false negative cases.
Some test companies say that the reagents will keep pace with the changes of the variant virus.
Xiao Jieheng, an associate professor of the Department of Medical Technology and Information Sciences of the Polytechnic University, stated on the Radio Hong Kong program "City Forum" that the mutations of the South African, British, and Indian virus strains detected in Hong Kong are in the spike protein (Spike protein/S protein), which affects the virus. Transmission ability, but nucleic acid testing is to test another location of the virus called N protein. The above-mentioned virus strains do not have much mutation in the N protein, so the mutant virus can be detected. "The French mutant virus goes beyond the usual detection methods and continues to do The Prophet of Genetic Sequencing is called."
Yu Changhai, chairman of the Bureau of Testing and Certification, paid attention to the same program. Nucleic acid testing will test specific gene fragments. When the reagent does not cover the variant virus, false positives or false negatives will appear, which is worrying.
Zhao Yantao, the founder of the testing contractor Xiangda Biotechnology, said that the government has been following up with testing companies to discuss the accuracy of testing for variant viruses, and will arrange variant samples for them to test. It is believed that a laboratory accredited by the government will test. All have a certain degree of accuracy, and the tester will update the reagents with the development of the mutant virus.
Xiao Jieheng explained that nucleic acid testing will test the N protein of the virus, and the French variant virus strain is precisely the N protein mutation.
(Screenshot of "City Forum")
There is no requirement in the previous testing contract that the nurse must be the sampler
Every wave of epidemics is a border failure. Earlier, BGI was questioned by Professor Yuan Guoyong of the Department of Microbiology at the University of Hong Kong. When BGI took samples for hotel quarantine personnel, improper sampling caused cases of variant viruses to flow into the community.
Zhao Yantao revealed that the contract between the government and the testing company does not require nurses to serve as samplers, but only specifies the need for training. "There are not many nurses in daily testing in Hong Kong, but it is because many waves of epidemics are imported from abroad and used for quarantine hotels. There is nothing wrong with taking samples from the most professional and using the most rigorous methods.” It is suggested that nurses should be responsible for sampling in quarantine hotels, and there is no need for nurses in community testing centers. It is also said that the testing agency can handle the testing of 370,000 foreign domestic helpers in one week, but admit The manpower problem is one of the reasons why Hong Kong has insufficient inspections on the Mainland.
Xiao Jieheng said that collecting a nasopharyngeal swab, that is, the sampling stick penetrates the nostril to the ear position, must be the most accurate, but citizens may sneeze.
Zhao Yantao stated that the government does not require them to take nasopharyngeal swabs. The current collection of nasal swabs and throat swabs with a few centimeters from the nostril is a balance between accuracy and efficiency. Because citizens sneezed while taking samples, the sampler may have to be replaced. A complete set of protective equipment, but it is absolutely agreed that those arriving in Hong Kong should be inspected in a more accurate manner.
▼Professor Yuan Guoyong used different methods to sample the comics for himself▼
The government will shorten the quarantine period for people who have received all the injections from Wednesday (12th), but they do not need to test their antibody levels.
Zhao Yantao also said that there is a rapid serum test approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. It only needs to test the blood sugar like a finger, and the antibody result can be obtained in 10 minutes. The higher the antibody level, the response of the vaccine to the person can be known. Only those who are negative need traditional blood draw. Even if the rapid test is not as accurate as traditional blood draw, it can greatly reduce the test time.
Xiao Jieheng added that the World Health Organization has not announced the level of antibody levels, and it is impossible for airports to place large machines to draw blood from people entering the country. I believe that rapid testing is one way out.
Temporarily avoid the fifth wave
Xiao Jieheng also mentioned that the mutant virus has repeatedly flowed into the community in Hong Kong in the past few weeks. He described the absence of a major outbreak as "wiping a sweat". For the time being, there are no new cases infected with the mutant virus. You can "sigh a sigh of relief" and avoid the fifth wave. .
Respiratory specialist Cao Zhonghao called on citizens to be vaccinated. Quoting American literature and Israeli experience, the vaccine still has six to seven effects on the mutant virus.
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