Canadian politicians have called an “extraordinary allegation” and “quite a comical story” Chinese public health authorities’ theory that the COVID-19 virus crossed the Pacific in a package from Canada to China to infect the only official carrier of the Omicron variant in Beijing.
“It’s an extraordinary allegation, but I’m no expert. I will ask virologist experts at Public Health Canada to comment on this, ”simply indicated the federal Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos, during a press conference on Monday.
Earlier, the English-language newspaper GlobalTimes, associated with the Chinese Communist Party, reported the startling remarks of Pang Xinghuo, the deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, that the Omicron variant arrived in his city from a package from Canada .
According to the publication, a person was infected after handling an envelope and the main page of a document that had been posted from Canada on January 7. An analysis of the package would have shown the authorities that the Omicron variant would have been carried over more than 8,500 kilometers for four days.
Mr. Pang is also said to have claimed that the COVID-19 virus can survive for a long time in low temperatures. He would thus have warned the Chinese public against receiving mail or imported goods without protection.
Questions about propagation by surfaces
The leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Erin O’Toole, called the affair “quite a comical story” on Monday during a press conference aimed precisely at denouncing China’s purchase of the mining company. Canadian Neo Lithium.
“This article was ridiculous. This is another example of the risks with the Communist Party in Beijing. […] This shows us that since the beginning of the pandemic, some news coming from China could not be taken seriously. »
According to its website, Health Canada “still doesn’t know how easily the virus spreads through contact with surfaces or objects. An analysis by the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) puts the maximum lifespan of the COVID-19 virus on rough surfaces, such as paper and fabrics, at 3 hours and 7 days on smooth surfaces such as plastic or steel.
Beijing is preparing to host the next Olympics in 2022 in February. Canada announced in December that it was joining, along with other allied countries, in a diplomatic boycott of the Games.