We can't just sit around waiting for a vaccine: Zhong Nanshan

The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has started in some countries, and the situation will get worse in most of the northern hemisphere as the weather turns colder, China's top respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan said on Monday at the fifth Belt and Road Summit.

Zhong acknowledged the breakthroughs in COVID-19 vaccine development, showing confidence in containing the pandemic.

"But we can't just sit around waiting for a vaccine," he said, adding that a lot need to be done apart from vaccine development.

The expert called on countries' health systems to strengthen communication, and emphasized the importance and urgency in cooperation among countries.

"We haven't had a clear understanding of the trend of the developing pandemic, nor an effective treatment to the disease," he said. "Therefore, we need to be careful and take corresponding measures to respond to the pandemic."

(Cover image: China's top respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan speaks at an event in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, November 28, 2020. /CFP)