When there are no vaccines or specific medicine for treating COVID-19, how can overseas students protect themselves? Can patients who are discharged from the hospital but test positive infect others?

The Webinar 'In Solidarity We Fight Against COVID-19' - for Chinese Nationals in the UK was held recently by Guangdong Province and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the UK.

Pandemic prevention knowledge from the perspective of epidemiology, TCM, and psychology was shared by renowned Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan and other Guangdong experts. They also answered questions raised by overseas Chinese nationals, including Chinese students studying in the UK and representatives of Chinese-funded institutions.

Zhong Nanshan pointed out that the development of the pandemic in the UK is slowing down, but has not yet reached the turning point. Instead, the pandemic situation is still quite serious. In the last week, the UK has begun transitioning into a new phase of lockdown measures, resuming work and restarting the economy. He stressed that overseas Chinese in the UK should not slacken their efforts in the fight against COVID-19. They should maintain social distancing and reduce unnecessary going out.

Discharged patients who test positive again are less likely to cause infection. Studies show there is a small number of virus in patients' body, and some of them did not produce live novel coronavirus during the study. Even though their nucleic acid test is positive, the patients themselves would not be infected. Therefore, Zhong said that the public need not worry and panic too much.

Scientific research has been conducted across many countries for the development of COVID-19 vaccines, and China has been exploring several approaches at the same time. However, it will take some time until a vaccine can be put into large-scale use.

He also reminded attendees that, as the temperature rises with the arrival of summer, the confirmed cases show a downward trend on the whole, which doesn't mean the pandemic can be taken lightly. COVID-19 is likely to return this winter, however, the scale is unlikely to be as severe as the first wave.

Guangdong is doing its best to help overseas Chinese in the UK

Guangdong's foreign affairs, overseas Chinese affairs, education, and health departments have been trying their best to provide support to overseas Chinese staying in the UK.

In late April, Guangdong donated 50,000 'health packs' to the UK, comprising 1 million masks, and 100,000 boxes of Lianhua Qingwen capsules. Moreover, Guangdong's departments in charge of overseas Chinese affairs have supplied nearly 400,000 masks to overseas Chinese groups and Chinese schools across the UK.

The province has also organized Guangdong youth to provide COVID-19 free consultation services for overseas students, and selected senior psychologists to provide 24-hour public welfare psychological consultation for overseas students and other overseas Chinese.

Its provincial and municipal departments responsible for overseas Chinese affairs have established a work platform to benefit overseas Chinese, and organized multiple webinar and online lectures on COVID-19.

Through online platforms, WeChat groups, the Guangdong Britain Business Chamber, and the Guangdong Economic and Trade Office in the UK, Guangdong publishes entry policies and latest pandemic prevention and control policy guidelines in the first place, responds to the concerns of overseas Chinese, and provides guidance and assistance for them to return to Guangdong.

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