China: Expert says Omicron risks same as Flu, as country exits ‘Zero Covid policy’
At a time, the Xi Jinping government in China is relaxing its stringent Covid curbs across the country, after rare massive protest broke out, a top health expert in the country ahs informed that the risks from contracting the Omicron variant of coronavirus is the same as getting flu.
The top health expert Zhong Nanshan’s statement downplaying the risks from the Omicron variant of coronavirus, that drove the third wave globally, comes at a time when the Chinese government’s Zero Covid Policy faced severe backlash from its own citizen.
Nanshan has said that the death rate from Omicron is only 0.1%, which is the same as flu. Nashan further emphasised that the Omicron infection rarely reaches the lungs unlike the other variants of coronavirus. Downplaying the risks from the Omicron variant, Zhong in an interview mentioned that those who get infected with this variant are recovering within 7-10 days.
China on Saturday, reported 10,514 local infections for Saturday, more than 20% lower than Friday, raising doubts about the accuracy of case numbers because fewer people are being tested.
The health expert, however, stressed on the fact that there is an urgent need to ramp up the administration of booster shots. Zhong said there’s an “urgent need” to increase booster-shot rates as travel during upcoming holidays will raise the risk of a large-scale spread.
“It’s unlikely people will stay put for the 2023 Lunar New Year holiday so I advise those who will travel home to get booster shots so that even if they are infected, symptoms will be mild,” Zhong said to state news agency Xinhua in the interview.
Holiday season in China
The holiday season in China, the Lunar New Year holiday runs from 21 to 27 January. However, Chinese residents take off before and after the official break extending the holidays for almost 40 days. This is the time people go back to their hometowns and celebrate with family in union.
However, several media reports have suggested that China’s resident’s reluctance to drop Covid curbs, enduring anxieties about the coronavirus are likely to hamper a speedy return to health for the world’s second-largest economy.
Although the government loosened key parts of its strict “zero-Covid” policy that has kept the pandemic largely at bay for the past three years, many people appear wary of being too quick to shake off the shackles.
(With inputs from Bloomberg)
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At a time, the Xi Jinping government in China is relaxing its stringent Covid curbs across the country, after rare massive protest broke out, a top health expert in the country ahs informed that the risks from contracting the Omicron variant of coronavirus is the same as getting flu.
The top health expert Zhong Nanshan’s statement downplaying the risks from the Omicron variant of coronavirus, that drove the third wave globally, comes at a time when the Chinese government’s Zero Covid Policy faced severe backlash from its own citizen.
Nanshan has said that the death rate from Omicron is only 0.1%, which is the same as flu. Nashan further emphasised that the Omicron infection rarely reaches the lungs unlike the other variants of coronavirus. Downplaying the risks from the Omicron variant, Zhong in an interview mentioned that those who get infected with this variant are recovering within 7-10 days.
China on Saturday, reported 10,514 local infections for Saturday, more than 20% lower than Friday, raising doubts about the accuracy of case numbers because fewer people are being tested.
The health expert, however, stressed on the fact that there is an urgent need to ramp up the administration of booster shots. Zhong said there’s an “urgent need” to increase booster-shot rates as travel during upcoming holidays will raise the risk of a large-scale spread.
“It’s unlikely people will stay put for the 2023 Lunar New Year holiday so I advise those who will travel home to get booster shots so that even if they are infected, symptoms will be mild,” Zhong said to state news agency Xinhua in the interview.
Holiday season in China
The holiday season in China, the Lunar New Year holiday runs from 21 to 27 January. However, Chinese residents take off before and after the official break extending the holidays for almost 40 days. This is the time people go back to their hometowns and celebrate with family in union.
However, several media reports have suggested that China’s resident’s reluctance to drop Covid curbs, enduring anxieties about the coronavirus are likely to hamper a speedy return to health for the world’s second-largest economy.
Although the government loosened key parts of its strict “zero-Covid” policy that has kept the pandemic largely at bay for the past three years, many people appear wary of being too quick to shake off the shackles.
(With inputs from Bloomberg)
Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint.
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More
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