China is rushing to distribute vaccines to combat an ongoing new wave of the Covid variant, which is expected to peak in June and infect as many as 65 million people per week as new XBB variants of the virus evolve to overcome immunity developed following China’s abrupt departure from its “zero covid” policy last year.
According to The Washington Post, leading Chinese epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan stated on Monday that two new vaccinations for the XBB omicron subvariants (including XBB.1.9.1, XBB.1.5, and XBB.1.16) have received preliminary approval. Zhong stated at a biotech symposium in Guangzhou that three to four other vaccines will be approved soon, but he provided no further details.
The new outbreak could be the largest wave of illnesses ever recorded since China’s stringent zero-Covid programme was abandoned last winter when up to 85% of the population was sick.
Despite an increase in infections in the United States as a result of the new variants, the public health emergency was declared over on May 11 despite the fact that specialists have not ruled out the possibility of new variants causing another wave of illnesses in the future, according to The Washington Post.
As China faces a new wave of Covid variant, officials in China claim that the current wave will be less severe, but public health experts believe that a vigorous vaccination booster programme and a ready supply of antivirals in hospitals are required to avoid another surge in mortality among the nation’s massive elderly population.
Another epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health, “The number of infections will be less. The severe cases will certainly be less, and deaths will be less, but that could still be a large number,” adding, “Even when we think this is a milder wave, it could still be quite a substantial health impact on the community.”
According to the Beijing Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the variations have increased the number of cases since last month, with Covid surpassing the flu as the most prevalent infectious disease over the final two weeks of April.
Health experts have reassured the public that reinfections have milder symptoms and that hospitals will not be overcrowded as they were the previous winter. According to The Washington Post, some medical facilities have advised residents who are elderly or immunocompromised to wear masks and avoid congested areas.
Even so, restrictions similar to those in place during the zero-Covid era, when China attempted to eradicate all illnesses, have not been reinstated, and the majority of citizens appear to be going about their daily lives as usual.
Olivia Zhang, 33, who works at a Beijing amusement park, believes the impact has been minimal, adding, “But they will only be out for a short time before returning to work.” Nobody is afraid to be around them.”
Several online complaints have surfaced about a Nanjing university forcing students who test positive to quarantine in dorms. Other students posted on social media that they were self-quarantined at school in order not to infect their family members at home, according to The Washington Post.
