China is preparing for a new wave of coronavirus infections, which could reach 65 million cases per week, after easing the restrictions to confront the pandemic, and days after the World Health Organization declared an end to the health emergency related to “Covid 19”.
This health data was revealed by respiratory disease specialist Zhong Nanshan, at a medical conference this week in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, the country that was the cradle of the pandemic.
According to state media, Zhong told the audience that the new wave that began in late April was “expected,” and that his statistical model indicated that China might approach 40 million infections per week, and by the end of June, infections would peak at 65 million cases per week.
By comparison, the United States was reporting more than 5 million cases per week at the peak of the pandemic wave in January 2022.
And in early May, the World Health Organization announced that the Coronavirus no longer constitutes a global health emergency, which sparked controversy about the response of health systems worldwide to the pandemic, 3 years after it inflicted severe damage on the global economy.
The clinical drug treatment consultant for infectious diseases in Jordan, Dirar Balawi, said that the current wave of coronavirus hitting China is “expected”, especially after the last wave that occurred in January, and since then the acquired immunity decreased, whether from previous infection or from vaccines.
Regarding the impact of the current situation and its contribution to raising concerns about the pandemic again, Balawi explained: The XBB1.16 mutator is new to China, which has adopted a “zero infection” policy, and therefore they must be infected with all kinds of mutants that have hit the world in the past months.
According to statistical data, 65 million people could be infected in one week during the month of June, provided that the peak of that wave will be at the end of next month, then the curve will reverse to a decline.
He added: I do not expect this wave to raise concerns, because according to the testimonies of a number of infected people in China, the symptoms are mild and less severe than previous waves, and there is no current focus on the matter from the health authorities there, and of course there are political and economic reasons behind that, but there is no news about increasing the number of hospitalized patients.
He concluded: This is expected in light of the fact that China is currently pursuing a policy of coexistence with the virus that the whole world is following, and this is the correct behavior with the end of the global emergency.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency