Hong Kong suspects that the world's first hamster was naturally infected with the new coronavirus. The government recently issued a "rat killing order" requiring the humane destruction of about 2,000 hamsters or small animals, causing social controversy.
Yuan Guoyong, a government expert consultant and chair professor of the Department of Microbiology of the University of Hong Kong, once again explained that he could support the rat killing order, revealing that the virus found in the pet store was the closest to the virus gene sequence that broke out in the Czech Republic in December last year, but there was an additional one named "D427G" special mutation that has not been discovered overseas.
Since it is not yet known its transmissibility or virulence, and whether hamsters produce mutant viruses, they can only "reluctantly sacrifice hamsters".
Yuan Guoyong also said that "hamsters are also lives", expressing that he fully understands the public's sadness about the loss of 2,000 lives, and hopes that the government can show more empathy in the process of handling this matter.
He also mentioned that science and medicine cannot solve the problem of love, and other professionals are needed to help the public deal with emotional crisis.
Yuan Guoyong also reiterated that the new crown virus pandemic is because humans have not cherished nature and respected the survival and habitat of wild animals, so that the virus has entered humans and even pets. "In the end, so many hamsters have to be sacrificed."
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Rat Killing Order | Yuan Guoyong's 14 Q&A full text warns that one more mutation of the virus may lead to disaster
On January 19, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department went to pet stores in Hong Kong to kill hamsters
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Yuan Guoyong said that the gene sequence of the virus found in the pet store was the closest to the virus that broke out in the Czech Republic in December last year, but it was not identical.
The virus isolated by the pet store has a special mutation called "D427G", but this mutation was not detected in the Czech virus, indicating that the virus found in the pet store may be a brand new mutation.
We are not yet sure whether the mutant virus was created in hamsters and then transmitted to humans, or whether it was created in humans.
We do not know the transmissibility or virulence of this mutant.
Faced with these multiple unknowns, if the community spread of the mutated virus is not stopped soon, it could spread across Hong Kong, the mainland and overseas, leading to another disaster.
Yuan Guoyong
"The safest way is to sacrifice the hamster reluctantly"
He emphasized that it has not yet been determined whether the mutant virus was produced in hamsters and then transmitted to humans, or whether it was produced in humans, and its transmissibility or virulence is unknown. , the mainland and overseas, "therefore, the safest way is to sacrifice the hamster reluctantly."
▼On January 19, AFCD went to Mong Kok Little Boss to kill hamsters▼
Viruses or imported warehouses from the Netherlands via hamsters are the source of the virus
Yuan Guoyong said that based on the current evidence chain, it can be inferred that the virus has a high chance of jumping from hamsters to humans, but it is difficult to obtain direct evidence.
Yuan also said that they detected a similar non-native European Delta variant in animal cages in the Tai Po warehouse, indicating that the virus may have been imported from the Netherlands through hamsters.
He reasoned that there was reason to suspect that the warehouse was the source of the virus, that the virus could expand through cross-infection and spread to pet stores and many other retail locations, further expanding everywhere, and infecting humans, while the second generation of pet stores had emerged. spread.
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"Hamsters are also life"
Regarding the psychological trauma of hamster pet owners, Yuan Guoyong said: "A hamster is also a life. I can fully understand that the citizens are saddened by the death of more than 2,000 little lives." He also said that science and medicine cannot solve the problem of "love", so it is necessary to Help from other professionals, such as psychologists, counsellors and bereavement counsellors, to help the public cope with emotional crises.
Yuan Guoyong pointed out that this is the first time they have dealt with the issue of pets infected with the Delta variant virus, and asked citizens to hand over their pets to the government for handling.
When children suffer from the loss of their hamsters, their families should not only accompany and explain more, but also understand that this new coronavirus pandemic is because we humans have not cherished nature and respected the survival and habitat of wild animals, so that the virus entered human beings. Even pets end up sacrificing so many hamsters' lives.
Yuan Guoyong
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