Jan. 26
-- Xinhua News Agency reported that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and head of the leading group of the CPC Central Committee on the response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, presided over the leading group's meeting. The meeting made further epidemic prevention and control arrangements according to instructions by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.
-- The State Council Information Office held a press conference to invite the NHC head Ma Xiaowei to brief on the epidemic and introduce the joint prevention and control work.
Ma told the press conference recent clinical results showed that the novel coronavirus has more transmissibility and the epidemic situation is grim and complicated, adding that the country is at a crucial time in the prevention and control of the outbreak.
Ma said that the source of infection is yet to be found and studies are still needed to understand its pathogenicity, adding that the possibility of virus changes over time can't be ruled out.
-- The NHC and relevant departments jointly provided detailed information to the WHO Western Pacific Region on measures taken in Wuhan may restrict international travel, including the suspended operation of city buses, subways and ferries, as well as public health reasons for the above measures.
Jan. 27
-- A guidance group, sent by the CPC Central Committee and headed by Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, arrived in Wuhan to guide the epidemic prevention and control work in Hubei Province, repeatedly demanding open and transparent release of epidemic information.
-- The NHC released the fourth version of guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of novel coronavirus pneumonia.
-- Under the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council, a press conference was held in Beijing to give briefings on the development of the community-based prevention measures to curb the novel coronavirus epidemic.
Such press conference has been held every day since Jan. 27, releasing updated data on a daily basis, including new confirmed cases, people discharged from hospital, people who had had close contact with infected patients and were discharged from medical observation, severe cases, deaths, suspected cases, people receiving treatment in quarantine, close contacts still under medical observation, accumulative data on the Chinese mainland as well as data reported in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan.
As of March 31, 65 press conferences under the mechanism had been held on a wide range of topics, including the epidemic prevention and control, treatment and scientific research. Officials of 69 departments answered 779 questions raised by Chinese and foreign reporters at the conferences.
-- Head of China's NHC Ma Xiaowei talked over phone with U.S. secretary of health and human services Alex Azar at request, discussing the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with visiting World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)
Jan. 28
-- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Beijing.
"The epidemic is a devil. We will not let it hide," Xi said, stressing the Chinese government has released information about the epidemic in a timely, open, transparent and responsible manner, actively responded to concerns of all sides, and enhanced cooperation with the international community.
Xi noted that China is ready to work with the WHO as well as the international community to safeguard regional and global public health security.
-- The NHC released the third-edition guidelines on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus pneumonia.
Members of a medical team heading for Wuhan of Hubei Province board the plane in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Jan. 28, 2020. Under the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council, a press conference was held in Beijing on details of medical workers sent from other parts of China to Hubei Province to help fight the epidemic. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)
-- Under the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council, a press conference was held in Beijing on details of medical workers sent from other parts of China to Hubei Province to help fight the epidemic.
-- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a briefing for foreign embassies and missions in China on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak. The NHC and the foreign ministry briefed on the current situation and China's efforts to prevent and control the epidemic, and answered questions. Foreign diplomats and representatives present made positive comments on the briefing held by the Chinese side, and appreciated the Chinese government's firm and decisive measures in handling the epidemic, as well as the open, transparent and responsible attitude it has shown. They said that they are willing to strengthen communication and coordination with the Chinese side, and cooperate with China in prevention and control efforts to jointly safeguard regional and international health security.
Jan. 29
-- Xinhua News Agency reported that Li Keqiang presided over a meeting of the leading group of the CPC Central Committee on the response to the novel coronavirus outbreak to further study the prevention and control of the epidemic, and roll out targeted and enhanced measures to curb the epidemic.
-- Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also head of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, spoke over phone with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Pompeo expressed appreciation for China's timely response to U.S. concerns after the epidemic.
-- Under the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council, a press conference was held in Beijing to advise the public on the prevention of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
-- A thesis on the genome sequence of the novel coronavirus by a research team of the WIV of the CAS was formally accepted by the journal Nature.
-- The China CDC published an epidemiological feature analysis of the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak in the New England Journal of Medicine.
-- Researchers from the Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and WIV under the CAS published an article in the Lancet, titled "Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 99 cases of 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a descriptive study", revealing data regarding clinical features and treatment of novel coronavirus patients.
--Researchers from the China CDC published a paper in the Lancet, titled "Genomic characterization and epidemiology of 2019 novel coronavirus: implications for virus origins and receptor binding," analyzing 10 genome sequences of 2019-nCoV obtained from nine confirmed patients in Wuhan.
-- Research team of Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica under the CAS published an article on the bioRxiv preprint platform, revealing research results about drugs by computer-simulated screening.
-- Researchers of the Institute of Automation under the CAS published an article on the medRxiv preprint platform, estimating the development trend of the epidemic based on the daily reported novel coronavirus cases by the China CDC.
Jan. 30
-- Under the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council, a press conference was held in Beijing on policies to ensure transportation of anti-epidemic materials in the fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak.
-- China's NHC notified the U.S. side that American experts are welcomed to join the China-WHO joint mission. The U.S. side responded the same day and expressed their appreciation.
-- The China CDC published a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine, titled "Early Transmission Dynamics in Wuhan, China, of Novel Coronavirus-Infected Pneumonia," revealing the epidemiological characteristics of the 2019-nCoV on the basis of data collected from the first 425 confirmed cases.
Jan. 31
-- Xinhua News Agency reported that Li Keqiang presided over a meeting of the leading group of the CPC Central Committee on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak, making arrangements for the transportation for the post-Spring Festival trips while enhancing the epidemic prevention and control.
-- The NHC released guidelines on gathering patients infected with novel coronavirus that show severe symptoms into designated medical institutions for treatment, in order to minimize the fatality rate and increase the recovery rate.
-- Under the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council, a press conference was held in Beijing on the epidemic prevention and control work concerning major groups and by community organizations.
February 2020
Feb. 1
-- Xinhua News Agency reported that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang spoke over phone with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, noting the Chinese government and people have confidence, resolution and ability to win the battle against the epidemic.
Li said China is willing to strengthen information, policy and technology exchanges, and carry out relevant cooperation with EU and the international community.
-- Under the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council, a press conference was held in Beijing giving briefings on the epidemic prevention and control work concerning pregnant women, infants and nurseries.
Feb. 2
-- Xinhua News Agency reported that Li Keqiang presided over a meeting of the leading group of the CPC Central Committee on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak, urging authorities in some provincial-level regions to flexibly arrange their work to battle the epidemic, step up prevention and control efforts and ensure market supply while pledging greater medical supplies support to key areas in Hubei Province.
-- Under the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council, a press conference was held in Beijing providing epidemic prevention guidance for people exposed to public places, public transport and other potential coronavirus risks.
As revealed by China CDC experts at the press conference, the finding of novel coronavirus from fecal samples of confirmed cases showed the virus can exist and replicate in digestive tract, but it needs further epidemiological research to determine whether the virus can transmit through the fecal-oral route or respiratory droplets-formed aerosol.
-- Head of China's NHC Ma Xiaowei sent a letter to the U.S. secretary of health and human services Alex Azar, further exchanging views on bilateral cooperation in health as well as epidemic prevention and control.
