China must adhere to its dynamic zero-COVID strategy because of possible dire consequences resulting from the Omicron strain, a health expert said on Friday.

Although a large proportion of Omicron cases are asymptomatic, the virus can spread fast within a short time, leading to many deaths, said Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, during a news conference.

Analysis of overseas data has shown that in some countries, fatalities caused by Omicron are even higher than those caused by Delta.

"This means that the prevalence of Omicron can lead to severe losses for a country or region, and we must strive to eliminate new outbreaks as fast as possible", he said.

Wu added that China's experience has shown that its dynamic zero-COVID strategy remains the most economic and effective way to tackle the virus.

To deal with the challenges in identifying symptom-free cases, Wu said China has adopted big data technology and added antigen tests to its mass screening campaign.