ChinatooktheleadinsharingCOVID-19informationandviruscontrolexperience,aswellasinsupplyingvaccinesandsendingmedicalteams,duringtheglobalfightagainstthedisease,expertsandofficialssaidonMonday,aftertheWorldHealthOrganizationannouncedthedowngradingofthepandemiclastweek.

Thenation"santivirusbattlealsodemonstratedadvantagesofitspoliticalsystemandcapabilitiesofitsmedicalprofessionals,researchersandgrassrootsworkers,whichcanhelpguidethehandlingofothercontagiousdiseasesinthefuture,theyadded.

OnFriday,theWHOannouncedthatCOVID-19nolongerqualifiesasapublichealthemergencyofinternationalconcern,orPHEIC,morethanthreeyearsafteritwasdeclaredapandemic.

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LiangWannian,headoftheNationalHealthCommission"sepidemicemergencyresponseexpertpanel,saidthatwhenthefirstdomesticCOVID-19casesemergedinWuhan,Hubeiprovince,inDecember2019,ChinareportedthemtotheWHOattheearliestpossibletime,andlaterpromptlyidentifiedthepathogenandsharedgenomesequenceswiththerestoftheworld,aswellaspublishedtreatmentanddiseasecontrolprotocols.

"Chinaofferedscientificevidencetoaidtheglobalcommunity"seffortsindevelopingvaccinesandtestingkitstotacklethedisease,"hesaid.

Thecountryprovidedantivirusgear,includingrespirators,protectiveclothingandmasks,for153countriesand15internationalorganizations,andsent37expertteamsto34countries.

"AsthefirstcountrytopledgemakingCOVID-19vaccines"aglobalpublicgood"andalsothefirsttocooperatewithdevelopingnationstomanufacturevaccines,Chinasuppliedover2.2billiondoses(ofvaccines)tomorethan120countriesandinternationalgroups,"Liangsaid.

WangWenbin,spokesmanfortheForeignMinistry,said,"Chinanotonlyprotected...itsownpeoplebutalsofunctionedasakeysupplierofviruscontrolmaterialsandthebackboneoftheglobalfightagainstCOVID-19."

Thenationfendedoffmorethan100localoutbreaks,withitsinstitutionaladvantagesandthecommitmentofthewholesocietyplayingapivotalrole.

"Thefundamentalruleforandtheprerequisiteofallourviruscontrolstrategiesisputtinglivesandthehealthofourpeopleaboveeverythingelse,"Liangsaid,addingthatjointpubliceffortsandthede­dicationofhealthworkershelpedthenationprevailinitsfightagainstthevirus.

"Fromvaccineresearchtodevelopmentoftestingequipment,ourscientificcapabilitieshavealsoimprovedgreatly,"Liangsaid,emphasizingthedeploymentofbigdataandartificialintelligencetoolstoincreasetheefficiencyoftrackingandmanaginginfections.

"Overthepastthreeyears,Chinahasformulatedrelativelysmoothandeffectivecommunitymanagementsystemsandaccumulatedexperienceatthegrassrootslevel,"hesaid."Thesewillplayagreaterroleinhandlingotherpublichealthemergenciesandincurbingchronicdiseases."

ExpertsnotedthattheWHO"sdecisiontodowngradeCOVID-19"spublichealthemergencystatusdoesnotmeanthatthereshouldbecomplacencytowardimplementingviruscontrolmeasures.

LiuQing,anofficialfromtheNationalAdministrationofDiseasePreventionandControl,saidthethreatofCOVID-19stillremains,aseasedrestrictionscouldpromoteglobaltravelandacceleratethespreadofthevirus.

AccordingtotheChineseCenterforDiseaseControlandPrevention,thehighlytransmissibleXBBvarianthasbecomethedominantstrainonthemainland,withitspercentageamongtotalCOVID-19infectionsrisingfrom0.2inmid-Februaryto74.4inApril.

Chinawilluseitsmultichannelsurveillancesystems,whichcoverviralmutation,feverclinics,sentinelhospitals,urbansewagesystemsandcommunities,tocloselymonitorthedomesticandglobalepidemictrajectory,Liusaid.

"Itisalsoimportanttostepupmonitoringofimportedcasesandnovelvariantstoreducetherisksofthemtriggeringlarge-scaleoutbreaks,"hesaid.

Specialattentionwillbepaidtoschools,seniorcarehomesandsocialwelfarecenters,Liusaid,addingthatvaccinationamongtheelderly,peoplewhohaveneverbeeninfectedandthosewhohavenotcompletedprimaryimmunizationwillbestrengthened.