Chinese authorities are rushing to push vaccines to combat the ongoing new wave of coronavirus that is expected to peak in June and infect up to 65 million people weekly since new variants of the virus XBB develop to overcome developed immunity after China’s abrupt exit from its ‘zero virus’ policy Last year, the Washington Post reported.
According to official media sources, cited by The Washington Post, a prominent Chinese epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan said on Monday that two new vaccines of XBB omicron sub-variants (including XBB. 1.9.1, XBB.1.5 and XBB.116) were administered as first. consent. Speaking at a biotechnology symposium in Guangzhou, Zhong said three to four more vaccines will soon gain approval, but he did not provide further information.
The new outbreak may be the biggest wave of disease ever recorded since China’s aggressive eradication program was abandoned last winter, infecting up to 85 percent of the population in that time.
Although there is an increase in infections in the United States as a result of the new variants, the end of the public health emergency was declared on May 11, although specialists did not rule out the possibility of new variants causing another wave of diseases in the coming years, according to The Washington Post. post.
Officials in China claim the current wave will be less severe, but public health experts believe that to avoid a further increase in the death rate among the country’s large elderly population, a robust vaccination program and a ready supply of antiviral drugs in hospitals are necessary.
Another epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health said, “It will be fewer infections. Severe cases will definitely be less, deaths will be less, but that could still be a significant number,” adding, “Even when we think this is a milder wave, it could have an impact.” Great for the health of the community.”
According to the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the differences have led to an increase in the number of cases since last month, with Covid overtaking influenza as the most prevalent infectious disease during the last two weeks of April.
Health experts have reassured the public that symptoms of infection are milder and that hospitals will not be as overwhelmed as they were during the previous winter. Some medical facilities have recommended residents wear masks and stay away from crowded areas if they are elderly or immunocompromised, according to the Washington Post.
However, restrictions similar to those that existed during the no-Covid era, when China tried to stop any disease, have not been reinstated, and the majority of citizens appear to be going about their daily lives as normal.
Olivia Zhang, 33, who works at an amusement park in Beijing, said he feels the impact wasn’t that big, adding: “But they’ll only go out for a short time before going back to work. Nobody’s afraid of being around them.”
Several complaints have surfaced online of a university in Nanjing forcing students to take a quarantine test in their dorms. The Washington Post reports that other students have posted online that they have been self-quarantining at school so they don’t infect their family members at home.
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