Jessie Yeung with CNN’s Beijing bureau

A day after the first case of monkeypox was confirmed in mainland China, the country’s top health officials warned people not to touch foreigners.

Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told China’s Twitter-like platform Weibo on Saturday that the country’s Covid-19 restrictions and strict border controls have made monkeypox so far less common. I write that I have prevented the epidemic. through the net. “

The case was detected in the southwestern municipality of Chongqing. Local officials said the “overseas arrival” was under mandatory Covid-19 quarantine when the infection was discovered, but it was not specified whether the person was a foreigner or a Chinese national.

Cases of monkeypox, which causes flu-like symptoms and blistering-like lesions, began occurring worldwide in May. The US has reported 23,500 cases so far this year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It is necessary and important to strengthen monkeypox surveillance and prevention,” Wu said in a post, highlighting the risk of spreading the disease through international travel and close contact. He made five recommendations to the public, the first being “Avoid skin-to-skin contact with foreigners.”

The recommendation sparked controversy on Weibo, with some praising his advice as reasonable and others expressing relief at not knowing many foreigners. is good, but we can’t accept everything,” wrote one Weibo user.

However, others have accused Wu’s post of being discriminatory and harmful, drawing some parallels to the wave of xenophobia and violence faced by Asians abroad at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. increase.

“This is a bit like when the pandemic started. Some people overseas were afraid to avoid Chinese people if they saw them,” wrote a Weibo user. “I don’t think there is any scientific basis for these two things. They are too broad and will only exacerbate public panic.”

Others pointed out that foreign workers who have not recently left the country or who have lived in China for many years are more likely to be infected than Chinese people.

“When the pandemic first started, some of our foreign friends stood up and used our own platform to tell everyone, ‘Chinese people are not a virus,'” another said. wrote on Weibo.

“Then, when the domestic epidemic subsided and foreign friends started facing discrimination, many Chinese with their own platforms were completely silent.”

Covid fatigue, 3 years later

Discussions of Wu’s post and other warnings shared by Chinese state media highlight the coronavirus fatigue shared by many in mainland China. In mainland China, nearly three years of severe restrictions have disrupted daily life and plunged the economy into chaos.

Mainland China still has some of the world’s toughest Covid rules, including border restrictions, mandatory quarantines, social distancing requirements and snap lockdowns, and residents expect to see signs of infection inside. Trapped in office buildings and shopping malls.

At the peak of the country’s outbreak this spring, major cities were locked down with little notice, and information from authorities was often confusing.

Shanghai, for example, went into lockdown days after authorities claimed there were no plans for such measures, leaving many of its residents without access to food, medical care and other basic supplies.

Chinese experts say monkeypox is unlikely to cause such a ruckus, and state media Global Times said on Friday that the disease “posed little threat”, citing the hospital director’s words. Reported by citing

However, according to the Global Times, some experts continue to call for vigilance, emphasizing the need for “close scrutiny” and countermeasures.

According to the US CDC, monkeypox is spread through close contact. This includes direct physical contact with a monkeypox patient’s lesions or rashes, contact with objects used by the patient, sharing of “respiratory secretions” in face-to-face interactions, or sexual contact. increase.

In a Weibo post on Saturday, Wu urged people to avoid close contact with strangers or recent arrivals from abroad. To maintain good hygiene. Use disposable toilet paper or clean the toilet seat with alcohol wipes before use.

However, some people on Weibo have responded to these recommendations with frustration and anger, noting that much has already been taken through the pandemic.

“We will have auto insurance in case of an accident, but we will not refuse to drive,” wrote one. “I wear a face mask to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, but I do not refuse to go out.”

Another user, responding to Wu’s guidance, was more blunt:

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