Why did COVID-19 attack China again? There are two main reasons

For several days, disturbing information has been coming from China. The country is struggling with a growing number of coronavirus infections, the highest number since the start of the pandemic. The zero-COVID strategy seems to be losing ground there. Why is this happening?

1. The number of coronavirus infections has been growing rapidly in China for 11 days
2. There have been so many cases of COVID-19 since the first and only wave in this country that started the pandemic in the world
3. The reasons for the emergence of new infection outbreaks include the spread of the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant and the low vaccination rate among Chinese seniors
4. Check your health. Just answer these questions         
5. More information can be found on the TvoiLokony home page         

The second wave of coronavirus infections in China

As of March 9, there was no indication that the coronavirus could hit China. For many countries, we would add the word “again” here, but for this Asian country, such a “big” COVID-19 hit has never actually happened. Although the SARS-CoV-2 virus was first identified in China (Wuhan), the first wave of infections was dealt with quite quickly there and no more were allowed to pass.

For two years, the number of infections caused by the coronavirus in China remained at a similar level. Apart from the first “line” of cases, when the statistics really soared (at the peak of the first wave of infections there were even 15 a day), there were several dozen new infections every day (rarely above 100). The situation did not change until December 2021, when the Omikron variant arrived in China. The chart shows no sudden change, but there were days when the number of new cases exceeded 150, sometimes even as high as 200.

Further part below the video.

For the Chinese authorities, this was a cause for concern and the tightening of the already restrictive rules for combating the coronavirus. The most important of them are: mass testing, strict isolation of the infected and hospitalization of people with a positive PCR test result, even those with mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 (according to state media, 95% of Chinese people are mildly affected in this country).

However, the most radical was (and still is) isolating areas where new infections have been identified. If it was even a small but nonetheless bonfire, the entire city was shut down, even if it was multi-million. This created economic problems, including logistics, disrupting the supply chain, but it usually helped – the coronavirus was not spreading, and the epidemic was still under control.

1. Check it out: China closed the city of 9 million. The reason: a large increase in coronavirus infections

On March 10, the feeling of that control was gone. 790 new cases of COVID-19 were then reported, and this was only the beginning of a surge in the number of infections. Three days later, there were 2142 cases, and five days later – 3387. On March 19, there was a record of infections in China since the start of the pandemic – 3613 were reported. Lanzhou University forecasters say that if the tide is not stopped by April, the statistics will show numbers in the order of 35. infections.

Winny Omikron;

Why is the coronavirus spreading despite such a restrictive anti-covid policy? There are several reasons.

First, Omikron, the most infectious of the coronavirus variants to date, has spread in China. This variant changed quite quickly and divided into podliny that developed in parallel and, as it were, independently of each other. The “lead” was quickly taken by the sub-variant BA.2, which Danish researchers assessed as one and a half times more infectious than its predecessor. In addition, it infects faster and more easily eludes the immune response generated by vaccination.

According to the latest reports, it may also be less detectable – not only by rapid antigen tests, but also by PCR. This would explain why there is an increasing number of infections in China – a country that focuses precisely on the latter type of testing. The Omikron BA.2 is not always identified, which makes an infected person, knowing that they are healthy, spreads the pathogen and infects other people.

1. Read also: The sub-variant of Omikron BA.2 will soon be dominant in Poland

Vaccinations? Not for everyone

Secondly, the implementation of the vaccination program in China is not as expected. Admittedly, two doses were taken, according to official statistics, as much as 85 percent. population (over 1,2 billion people), but the booster “only” 553 million. This means that the immunity of many Chinese people has almost died out or is at a very low level (according to studies, protection against COVID-19 after two doses clearly weakens around 6-8 months after the last vaccination).

A separate problem is the degree of seniors’ immunization in China. 19 million citizens over the age of 17 are entitled to receive the COVID-80 vaccine. Meanwhile, only half of them were vaccinated, and only one in five received a booster dose (The booster vaccination rate for the entire group of Chinese “retirees”, ie people over 60, is equally low – it is 19 percent).

“Unlike many other countries, where health workers have almost unanimously encouraged vaccination, in China many of those who have not been vaccinated say they are following their doctor’s recommendations,” reports The Guardian. The website cites statements of residents, among whom fear for possible complications in people with comorbidities prevails.

«Since she is a cancer patient and has undergone two operations, she cannot be vaccinated. The doctor suggested that the decision should be made on the basis of her physical condition and the specificity of the environment she lives in, ”said Chinese Liu Li, quoted in the article, about her mother. There are also other stories in the text, incl. an elderly couple who did not get vaccinated because of hypertension, as well as an elderly woman who had already reported three times to the vaccination point – each time they did not want to be vaccinated because of the diseases they suffer from.

The zero-COVID policy has stopped working

In the first week of increases in the number of infections, Chinese authorities ruled out changes to the zero-COVID policy. The following days of records, however, begin to break this resistance. Recent reports mention slight modifications to the strategy. Among them is the approval of the use of rapid antigen tests, which so far has not been recommended because PCR tests have primed. The guidelines for physicians also include the administration of Pfizer’s antiviral drug to patients. It was also declared to abolish the obligation to hospitalize infected people.

1. See also: Pfizer: Our antiviral drug reduces the risk of severe COVID-19 by 89%

Will these actions in any way stop the surge in coronavirus infections in China, time will tell? At the moment, it is known for sure that COVID-19 still surprises us, reminding us that in the fight against such a dangerous pathogen as SARS-CoV-2, we must constantly be vigilant and humble.

We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we devote it to emotions. Often times, a particular sight, sound or smell brings to mind a similar situation that we have already experienced. What opportunities does this give us? How does our body react to such an emotion? You will hear about this and many other aspects related to emotions below.

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