China, testing fish for coronavirus is unscientific and of little use

China’s relentless struggle for the containment of Covid-19 caseswith a view to pursuing an ambitious and very complicated one zero contagion strategy, at times it takes on dimensions bordering on the grotesque, trespassing – if not into madness itself – at least into anti-science. What is happening in the last few days, in fact, seems to go beyond any reasonable understanding: after having just recorded 40 cases (in Italy there are tens of thousands every day) in the coastal city of Xiamen in the district of Jimei, the rules and measures to contain the infections have become even stricter.

In addition to the fishermen returning to the port, also the fish caught they must in fact be swab, to avoid a phantom risk of contagion. This initiative – which has no equal in any other area of ​​the world – is in fact contrary to what has been expressed by various health and scientific organizations, which have highlighted how (at least to date) there is not enough evidence to demonstrate the possibility of transmission of Covid-19 across the food, and in particular through fish. If this transmissibility were somehow verified, it would still be a very remote probability, like transmission by cash or in uncrowded areas in the open air.

Zero contagion strategy: a scientific choice or just a political choice?

Despite the continued lockdowns and severe restrictions imposed by the Chinese government, cases in the country continue to grow and have recently exceeded the 2 thousand infections a day. Values ​​that, given in hand, have not been recorded since last May. In short, the mission of eliminating infections seems increasingly difficult to carry out, but the government does not seem to want to throw in the towel.

To try to reverse the trend, sensational containment actions have recently been implemented, not always supported by scientific rationality. According to the rules imposed already at the end of July by the administration of Jimei, all workers in contact with the fish must be vaccinated and most importantly, they are required to carry out daily basis a tampon.