‘Colossal risk’ of Covid surge in China

Beijing: China is expected to continue its much-criticised Zero COVID policy, shutting the country to most of the world as a new study has warned of a “colossal outbreak” with over 6.30 lakh patients per day if it opens up.

According to a report by the Peking University mathematicians, China could face more than 630,000 coronavirus infections a day if it dropped its zero-tolerance approach and followed other countries by lifting travel bans. “The estimates revealed the real possibility of a colossal outbreak which would almost certainly put an unbearable burden on the medical system,” the report said. China on Saturday reported 23 new COVID-19 cases, including 20 imported ones as the country appears to have contained a recent spike of infections in Beijing and other cities.

The researchers said that China would need a range of preparations in place including more efficient vaccination coverage and specific treatment, different levels of non-pharmaceutical interventions and more hospital beds before it could safely transition to opening-up strategies.