Members of the first group of imported COVID-19 patients diagnosed at Suifenhe port in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province who were cured and discharged on April 21, 2020 pose for farewell pictures with medics. (Photo by Pan Songgang/For chinadaily.com.cn)

National Health Commission officials stressed at a recent media briefing of the State Council, China's Cabinet, that cured COVID-19 patients cannot spread the virus, and appealed to the public to be more caring toward this specific group.

Novel coronavirus pneumonia patients have suffered a lot in the course of the disease and its treatment. Their recovery has come as good news for them, their families and also for society.

A commission official said the authorities will take a series of measures after patients are discharged from hospital－such as quarantining at home, supervising health and reexamining them－to guarantee their health. Also, cured patients develop specific antibodies ensuring they lead normal lives like ordinary people without infecting others.

The official further said that recovery of the patients' mental health is just as important as their physical recovery. For that, it is important that the cured patients' families and neighbors help them resume normal activities in society.

However, there have been reports in the media about how some cured patients are facing problems returning to normal life; some of them are even facing discrimination because residents feel they can still infect others.

The official's clarification could help dispel such fears and stop people from being unnecessarily suspicious of the cured patients.

Our enemy is the novel coronavirus, not cured patients. Reducing such discrimination against cured patients and providing more care to them will make society more harmonious and help us step out of the shadow of the outbreak.