Interview:HealthdatafirmCEOurgesmoreglobalcooperationagainstCOVID-19_GuangmingOnlineThisphototakenonMarch28,2022showspackagesofChina-donatedSinovacCOVID-19vaccineatthePhnomPenhInternationalAirportinPhnomPenh,Cambodia.(PhotobyLyLay/Xinhua)byMartinaFuchsGENEVA,Jan.12(Xinhua)--MoreglobalcooperationisneededtofighttheCOVID-19pandemic,RasmusBechHansen,CEOofLondon-basedhealthdatafirmAirfinity,hassaid.OnelessontolearnfromthefightagainstCOVID-19istheimportanceofinternationalcooperation,HansentoldXinhuainarecentinterview."Thesilverliningofallofthisisthatwecansaythatallcountriesareinthesameboatrightnow...AndIthinkthatopensupforaneweraofcollaborationbetweencountries,"Hansensaid."It'snotgoingtohappenthenextoneortwomonthsbecauseofthewave,wejusthavetogopastthisterriblepeak.Butonceweareontheothersideofthat,Iwouldenvisionthatthisopensupforbettercollaboration,"hesaid.CommentingonChina'sresponsetothepandemic,hesaid"Chinawasverygoodatearlydetection.They'reverygoodatnon-medicalcountermeasures...whichmanagedtokeepChinaprettymuchCOVID-freeforalongtime."AhealthworkeradministersadoseofCOVID-19vaccinetoAnnaLujzaHoneczfromHungaryatavaccinationsiteinTsinghuaUniversity,Beijing,capitalofChina,April3,2021.(Xinhua/ChenZhonghao)WithOmicronmuchlesspathogenicanddeadlyandChina'streatment,testingandvaccinationcapacitysteadilyontherise,ChinahasdowngradeditsmanagementoftheinfectiousdiseaseofCOVID-19fromClassAtoClassB,shiftingthefocusoftheresponsefromstemminginfectiontocaringforhealthandpreventingseverecases.Chinawas"veryquick"todevelopitsownvaccines,and"inthefirstvaccinewaves,theyhadhighlevelsofvaccinationsveryearlyon,"headded.ConsideringtherapidspreadoftheOmicronsubvariantXBB.1.5,Hansenwarnedoftheriskofnewvariantsemergingthisyear."Atthemoment,weareinasituationwheremanycountriesshort-termwillwanttohavemoretesting,"hesaid."Vaccinesareacornerstonethatsaved15to20millionlives.Vaccinationisakeycomponenttocounteranyfuturepandemicthreat,"Hansensaid.■Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.