China faces rapid spread of Covid after easing curbs
Virus expert warns of surge as Beijing scrambles to expand hospital care and increase drug supplies
CHINA is expanding hospitals and intensive care units as a senior epidemiologist said Covid was spreading rapidly after virus restrictions were eased.
After unprecedented protests at Beijing’s
hardline zero-covid policy, China announced last week that it was easing some restrictions. Changes include ending large-scale lockdowns and allowing people who test positive to stay at home rather than being forced to quarantine in a government field hospital.
The country is ill-prepared for a surge in cases. Vaccination rates among the elderly are low, and China’s underfunded healthcare system does not have the capacity to deal with a huge influx of patients.
The country has one intensive care unit bed for every 10,000 people. The UK has about 25.
The government is intensifying efforts to increase hospital staff and drug supplies, and upgrade quarantine facilities into intensive care units.
Officials are being told to keep track of the health of everyone in their area aged over 64, according to state media.
Professor Zhong Nanshan, a senior health expert and government pandemic adviser, said that the omicron strain of the virus prevalent in China was highly transmissible. One infected person could spread it to as many as 18 others, Prof Zhong said in an interview published by state media yesterday.
“We can see that hundreds of thousands or tens of thousands of people are infected in several major cities,” he said.
“Currently, the epidemic in China is spreading rapidly, and under such circumstances, no matter how strong the prevention and control is, it will be difficult to completely cut off the transmission chain.”
Yesterday in Beijing, shops and restaurants were largely empty as many people stayed home, and many small businesses closed because too many staff were sick.
Several online meal and grocery delivery services were struggline with a shortage of drivers. People queued at pharmacies to buy medicines and test kits. One virus testing site in Beijing shut down because all its employees were infected.
“I’m afraid to step out,” Liu Cheng, a mother of two in central Beijing, said. “Many of my friends have tested positive but haven’t reported it or gone to the hospital.” China is the only major country officially wedded to a strategy of stamping out all trace of the virus and it could reimpose restrictions if hospitals become overwhelmed.
While its zero-covid policy has kept case numbers low – its official death toll since the start of the pandemic is 5,235 – public frustration with lockdowns, mass testing, and the hit to the economy has grown. The easing of restrictions followed widespread protests. Some protesters called for Xi Jinping to step down and an end to Communist Party rule.
‘I’m afraid to step out. Many of my friends have tested positive but haven’t reported it or gone to hospital’