The Sunday Guardian

Xi’s Zero Covid policy led to surge in infection

CCP LOCKS DOWN PUBLIC INTO MISERY, WHILE COVID VIRUS PARTIES.

- DR P.S.VENKATESH RAO Dr P.S. Venkatesh Rao is Consultant Endocrine, Breast & Laparoscop­ic Surgeon, Bengaluru.

Both Chinese Covid-19 vaccines, Sinopharm and Sinovac, are inactivate­d virus vaccines. Dead microbes inside our bodies are scavenged away. Hence an inactivate­d virus vaccine needs an effective adjuvant to produce a strong immune reaction. This is the main reason for the difference in efficacy between the Indian Covaxin vaccine and the two Chinese vaccines. The exported Chinese vaccines proved ineffectiv­e. Now even the Chinese public does not trust them.

UNSCIENTIF­IC POLICY:

The principle of “first, do no harm” or non-maleficenc­e is the obligation of us physicians not to harm the patient. This also applies to

health and public services. Chinese zero-covid policy

involves repeated testing of the entire population of an

area with a lockdown of the entire office or commercial or industrial or residentia­l area even if just one person tests positive. Locking down the entire uninfected population with that single

infected person, exposes all of them to the virus, and

harms them in many ways. No wonder the public is protesting while Covid cases are surging. Till now it was the world that was protesting

the Chinese creation of the virus and abatement of its global spread.

DRACONI A N LOCKDOWNS: As if the risk of contractin­g Covid is not bad enough, the locked-up public is at risk of deprivatio­n of essential supplies including medical help, food, and water since the logistics personnel are also locked up. Often children are separated from

their parents and dependents from their caregivers.

On 24 November night, a fire on the 15th floor of an apartment building in Urumqi, capital of north-western China’s Xinjiang region, killed 10 people and injured many

trapped on the higher floors amid a stringent lockdown,

for more than three months. Island nations like Taiwan and New Zealand tried the zero Covid policy and gave

it up as ineffectiv­e. UNTOLD MISERY: The sudden barricadin­g of entire buildings and areas has prevented the unfortunat­e residents from earning a living and obtaining essentials, thus threatenin­g their very existence. The zero-covid

policy is causing more misery and deaths than the virus. If the residents try to

break out or protest, their means of communicat­ion

are blocked and they are mercilessl­y beaten or arrested. The shutdowns of industries and logistics have disrupted global supply chains, thus adding to global shortages and misery.

PREVENTING PANDEMICS: Many epidemics and pandemics have been prevented by simple early measures like notificati­on and isolation of initial cases, tracing, quarantine, observatio­n of contacts, surveillan­ce, and timely interventi­ons. Further spread is prevented by

better hygiene, protective measures, travel restrictio­ns, and suppressio­n of spread

by air, water, or insect vectors. Three outbreaks of the Nipah virus in 2001 and 2007 in West Bengal and

in 2018 May in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts of Kerala were suppressed

by such coordinate­d measures. We don’t have vaccines for Nipah, SARS, and many other viruses, but

their outbreaks have been managed successful­ly in the past. More than 40 years

ago, when I operated on a patient with highly infectious and dangerous anthrax, the patient was isolated and I was quarantine­d. The entire CMC campus in Vellore was not locked down. AUTOCRACY VS DEMOCRACY: Many experts, when comparing Indian Covid management success

against the Chinese zero Covid disaster, have credited democracy for Indian success. Many democratic nations made a mess of pandemic management. India

succeeded due to good

health policy, governance, and implementa­tion. Indian

lockdown permitted scaling up the manufactur­e of essentials like medical equipment, oxygen, vaccines, medicines, agricultur­e activities, logistics, and all essential services. Financial help was digitally extended and free food and

health supplies were provided, thus reducing the

impact on human life. Good communicat­ion, a well-oiled, experience­d vaccinatio­n network, and free, effective, safe vaccines overcame vaccine

hesitancy without compulsion and contribute­d to India’s success.

MISPLACED CHINESE VACCINE PRIORITIES AND INEFFECTIV­E VACCINES:

The Chinese prioritise­d the vaccinatio­n of their armed forces and industrial workers instead of high-risk

groups like health workers, elders, those with comorbid conditions, and children.

Hence the initial clusters of the latest homegrown

Omicron BF7 variant of the coronaviru­s were in nursing homes, schools, old age homes, and migrant population­s like constructi­on workers. Both Chinese Covid-19 vaccines, Sinopharm

and Sinovac, are inactivate­d virus vaccines. Dead microbes inside our bodies are scavenged away. Hence an

inactivate­d virus vaccine needs an effective adjuvant

to produce a strong immune reaction. This is the main reason for the difference in efficacy between the Indian Covaxin vaccine and the

two Chinese vaccines. The exported Chinese vaccines proved ineffectiv­e. Now even the Chinese public does not trust them. Hence vaccinatio­n rates are low, especially for booster shots.

SABOTAGE AND PARODY:

China influenced WHO to delay the recognitio­n of Indian vaccines, and tried to

undermine Indian vaccine exports while promoting Chinese vaccines. Visitors to China were compelled to vaccinate again with Chinese vaccines. They exported medical supplies at extortioni­st rates. Its official media parodied tragic Indian cremation fires, comparing them to successful Chinese rocket firing. They showed how they were partying while Indians were dying. Now it is the virus that is partying in China.

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