On December 22, Academician Zhong Nanshan said at a public event in Shenzhen that he did not particularly advocate wearing masks for a long time, which quickly sparked heated discussions on the Internet. As a recipient of the Order of the Republic and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Zhong Nanshan's outstanding contributions to the fight against the new crown epidemic have won him wide trust and respect from the public. Therefore, his remarks naturally received widespread attention.
First of all, let's look at the background of Academician Zhong Nanshan's point of view. He did this from an immunological point of view in response to a question about the recent increase in the number of patients with respiratory diseases. He believes that dry weather and sudden cold can lead to a decrease in the immune function of the nasal mucosa, making it easier for the virus to enter the respiratory tract;At the same time, long-term wearing of masks may also weaken the function of the body's own immune system. Therefore, he proposed that long-term wearing of masks is not particularly advocated unless it is during the time of the virus pandemic or going to a place where people gather.
Academician Zhong Nanshan's viewpoint has its scientific basis. In the context of the initial control of the new crown epidemic and the entry into the stage of normalized prevention and control, he reminded the public to pay attention to the function of protecting their own immune system and avoid over-reliance on masks, which makes sense. The immune system is the body's first line of defense against disease, and its proper functioning is essential for disease prevention.
However, there are also some people who have expressed concern about Academician Zhong's views. They believe that in the current global epidemic situation, the relaxation of mask wearing requirements may lead to an epidemic**. In addition, they also pointed out that for some special groups (such as the elderly, children, people with chronic diseases, etc.), due to their weak autoimmunity, long-term wearing of masks is still a necessary protective measure.
In response to these concerns, Peng Zhibin, director of the Respiratory Infectious Diseases Division of the Infectious Disease Management Division of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, responded at a press conference on December 24. He said that China has issued guidelines for the prevention of respiratory infectious diseases for the public to wear masks, which distinguish different periods such as high incidence and normalization of the epidemic, as well as different situations such as key institutions, key groups, and key places, and put forward corresponding recommendations for wearing masks. This means that the public should judge and choose on a case-by-case basis when wearing masks, rather than a blanket requirement that everyone wear a mask in all situations.
Peng Zhibin's response is actually a supplement and extension of Academician Zhong Nanshan's views. He emphasized the importance of scientifically and accurately guiding the public to wear masks, that is, to minimize the impact on the public's production and life on the basis of ensuring the effectiveness of prevention and control. This also implies that wearing masks for a long time may have a certain degree of inconvenience and impact on people's daily lives.
To sum up, Academician Zhong Nanshan's remarks of "not advocating wearing masks for a long time" are not a relaxation of epidemic prevention and control, but a suggestion based on scientific analysis. Against the backdrop of the current complex and volatile global epidemic situation, we need to remain vigilant, but at the same time, we should also look at epidemic prevention and control measures scientifically and rationally. Wearing a mask, as an effective protective measure, is still necessary in specific situations;But in other cases, we can choose according to our own situation and actual needs.
Finally, we should recognize that epidemic prevention and control is not just about wearing masks. It involves many aspects such as personal hygiene, social distancing, vaccinations, etc. Therefore, on the issue of whether to wear a mask, we need to consider multiple factors comprehensively and make a scientific and reasonable decision. At the same time, ** and relevant departments should also strengthen publicity and education, improve the public's scientific literacy and awareness of prevention and control, and jointly safeguard the hard-won achievements in epidemic prevention and control.