ANI
26 May 2023, 02:18 GMT+10
Beijing [China], May 25 (ANI): The Chinese authorities are rushing to push out vaccines to combat an ongoing new wave of the coronavirus that is expected to peak in June and infect as many as 65 million people a week since the new XBB variants of the virus are evolving to overcome the immunity developed after China's abrupt departure from its "zero covid" policy last year, reported The Washington Post.
According to official media sources, quoted by The Washington Post, leading Chinese epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan on Monday said that two new vaccinations for the XBB omicron subvariants (including XBB. 1.9.1, XBB. 1.5, and XBB. 1.16) have been given preliminary approval. Speaking at a biotech symposium in Guangzhou, Zhong said that three to four other vaccines will soon receive approval, but he gave no further information.
The new outbreak may be the greatest wave of illnesses ever recorded since China's stringent zero-Covid programme was abandoned last winter, which resulted in up to 85 per cent of the population being sick at the time.
Although there was an increase in infections in the United States as a result of the new variations, the public health emergency was nevertheless proclaimed to be over on May 11 even though specialists have not ruled out the possibility of new variants causing another wave of illnesses in the years to come, according to The Washington Post.
Officials in China claim that the current wave will be less severe, but public health experts believe that to avoid another surge in mortality among the massive elderly population of the nation, a vigorous vaccination booster programme and a ready supply of antivirals in hospitals are essential.
Another epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong's School of Public Health, "The number of infections will be less. The severe cases will certainly be less, and deaths will be less, but that could still be a large number," adding, "Even when we think this is a milder wave, it could still be quite a substantial health impact on the community."According to the Beijing Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the variations have increased the number of cases since last month, with Covid surpassing the flu as the most prevalent infectious disease over the final two weeks of April.
The public has been reassured by health experts that reinfections have milder symptoms and that hospitals won't be overloaded as they were during the previous winter. Some medical facilities have recommended residents wearing masks and stay away from busy areas if they are old or immunocompromised, as per The Washington Post.
Even still, restrictions similar to those that existed during the zero-Covid era, when China tried to stop any illnesses, have not been reinstated, and the majority of citizens seem to be going about their daily lives as usual.
Olivia Zhang, 33, who works at an amusement park in Beijing said that he feel like the impact of has not been that big, adding, "But they will only be out for a short time before coming back to work. No one is scared of being around them."Several online complaints have surfaced of a university in Nanjing forcing students testing positive to quarantine in dorms. Other students posted online that they were self-quarantined at school so as to not infect their family members at home, The Washington Post reported. (ANI)
Get a daily dose of Hong Kong Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Hong Kong Herald.
More InformationTAIPEI, Taiwan: Taiwan and the United States are set to sign the first deal under a new trade framework, marking ...
CHARLESTON, South Carolina: During a media tour this week at Boeing's facilities in Charleston, South Carolina, company CEO Dave Calhoun ...
KATHMANDU, Nepal - A Malaysian mountaineer narrowly survived after a Nepali sherpa guide hauled him down from below Mount Everest's ...
HONG KONG, China: Describing the lack of women in China's top leadership as concerning, the United Nations has recommended the ...
BEIJING, China: Amid its rivalry with the US for reaching new milestones in space, reflecting their competition for global influence, ...
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Malaysia's maritime agency has said that it found a cannon shell believed to be from World War ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks were divided on Wednesday, with the technology and industrial sectors parting ways.Tech stocks ...
HOLLYWOOD, California: More than tripling the debut of its 2018 animated original predecessor, Sony Pictures' "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" opened ...
PARIS, France: European plane manufacturer Airbus is reported to be close to a record agreement to sell 500 narrow-body jets ...
TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan: DuPont, Chemours and Corteva have reached an agreement to pay $1.18 billion to resolve complaints of causing ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks were directionless Tuesday as investors had little to digest ahead of next week's ...
MENLO PARK, California: Facebook parent Meta has said that under a trial that could last through the end of June, ...