WHO Declares COVID Pandemic "Global Health Emergency" Over

 

BBC: Covid global health emergency is over, WHO says 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that Covid-19 no longer represents a "global health emergency". 

The statement represents a major step towards ending the pandemic and comes three years after it first declared its highest level of alert over the virus. 

Officials said the virus' death rate had dropped from a peak of more than 100,000 people per week in January 2021 to just over 3,500 on 24 April. 

The head of the WHO said at least seven million people died in the pandemic.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Finally! 

WHO Declares COVID Pandemic "Global Health Emergency" Over  

WHO says COVID emergency is over. So what does that mean? -- AP  

WHO declares end to COVID global health emergency -- Reuters  

WHO says Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency -- CNN  

COVID no longer a global health emergency, World Health Organization says -- SKY News  

WHO (Finally) Declares COVID Pandemic "Global Health Emergency" Over -- Zero Hedge  

WHO: COVID-19 no longer global health emergency -- Axios

FBI Director Christopher Wray Says The Agency Believes The COVID-19 Pandemic 'Likely' Started As Wuhan Lab Leak

 

US News and World Report: FBI Director Says COVID-19 Origin Is ‘Most Likely’ a Lab Incident in China 

The comments from FBI Director Christopher Wray come after a new DOE report thrust the lab leak theory back into the spotlight. 

 FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday publicly acknowledged the agency’s stance that the COVID-19 pandemic likely resulted from an accidental laboratory leak in China.

“The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan,” Wray told Fox News.  

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WNU Editor: Beijing has responded .... China scoffs at FBI claim that Wuhan lab leak likely caused COVID pandemic (Reuters). More here .... China dismisses FBI statement on COVID-19 lab leak theory (AP). 

FBI Director Christopher Wray Says The Agency Believes The COVID-19 Pandemic 'Likely' Started As Wuhan Lab Leak 

FBI chief says agency feels COVID pandemic likely started with Chinese lab leak -- CBS/AP  

FBI Director: COVID-19 pandemic 'likely' started as Wuhan lab leak -- UPI  

FBI chief Christopher Wray says China lab leak most likely -- BBC  

COVID pandemic 'likely' caused by Wuhan lab accident: FBI -- DW  

China lab leak 'most likely' caused COVID outbreak, FBI director says -- SKY News

New U.S. Intelligence Has Concluded That The Covid Pandemic Most Likely Arose From A Chinese Laboratory Leak

The Energy Department has concluded that the Covid pandemic most likely arose from a lab leak, according to a classified intelligence report https://t.co/mO9cnU6Egc

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) February 26, 2023

The Guardian: Covid-19 likely came from lab leak, says news report citing US energy department 

Updated finding comes with ‘low confidence’ and is a departure from previous studies on how virus emerged, Wall Street Journal reports 

The virus that drove the Covid-19 pandemic most likely emerged from a laboratory leak but not as part of a weapons program, according to an updated and classified 2021 US energy department study provided to the White House and senior American lawmakers, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. 

The department’s finding – a departure from previous studies on how the virus emerged – came in an update to a document from the office of National Intelligence director Avril Haines, the WSJ reported.

It follows a finding reportedly issued with “moderate confidence” by the FBI that the virus spread after leaking out of a Chinese laboratory.  

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WNU Editor: This updated and classified 2021 US energy department study joins the FBI in saying Covid came from a Chinese lab .... Energy Department Joins FBI In Supporting COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory: Report (Huffington Post). 

Remember all the condemnation that former President Trump received when he suggested the same thing. 

Update: WOW! National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan "can't confirm or deny" the WSJ report on new intel that says Covid was leaked from a Chinese military bio research facility (see video below). 

 

New U.S. Intelligence Has Concluded That The Covid Pandemic Most Likely Arose From A Chinese Laboratory Leak  

US Energy Department assesses Covid-19 likely resulted from lab leak, furthering US intel divide over virus origin -- CNN  

US agency says COVID-19 likely emerged from China lab leak: Reports -- AFP 

Covid Likely Originated From Lab Leak, Energy Department Reportedly Finds—But Biden Aide Says There’s No ‘Definitive Answer’ -- Forbes  

Another US agency assesses COVID-19 origin likely a Chinese 'lab leak': report -- FOX News  

Covid-19 Likely Originated with Lab Leak, U.S. Energy Department Finds in New Report -- National Review  

Classified Energy Department report finds lab leak likely cause of COVID-19 pandemic -- UPI  

WSJ: U.S. Energy Department Report Says Lab Leak Most Likely Source of Global Coronavirus Pandemic -- Breitbart  

COVID "Likely Arose" From Lab Leak, US Energy Department Admits In Classified Report -- Zero Hedge

China Says 80% Of The Population Have Been Infected With Covid

 

CNBC/Reuters: China says Covid outbreak has infected 80% of population 

* The possibility of a big Covid-19 rebound in China over the next two or three months is remote as 80% of people have been infected, a prominent government scientist said on Saturday. 

* China has passed the peak of Covid patients in fever clinics, emergency rooms and with critical conditions, a National Health Commission official said on Thursday. 

The possibility of a big Covid-19 rebound in China over the next two or three months is remote as 80% of people have been infected, a prominent government scientist said on Saturday. 

The mass movement of people during the ongoing Lunar New Year holiday period may spread the pandemic, boosting infections in some areas, but a second Covid wave is unlikely in the near term, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said on the Weibo social media platform. 

Read more ....  

Update #1: China says COVID outbreak has infected 80 percent of population (Al Jazeera) 

Update #2: China says 80% of population have had Covid-19, as millions travel for Lunar New Year (CNN)  

WNU Editor: My friedns and contacts in China are telling me the same thing. Most Covid rules have been lifted .... China rings in Year of Rabbit with most Covid rules lifted (Politico).

China's Covid-19 Death Toll Is Much Higher Than 60,000

Medical workers attend to patients of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at an intensive care unit (ICU) converted from a conference room, at a hospital in Cangzhou, Hebei province, China January 11, 2023. China Daily via REUTERS  

Hot Air: China admits nearly 60k COVID deaths in the past month but some experts say it's much higher 

Just over one month ago, China finally dropped its zero-COVID measures. Since then there have been multiple reports that Chinese hospitals, funeral parlors and crematoriums have been overwhelmed. Thursday NBC News reported that you could see the crowds at Chinese crematoriums from space:  

Satellite images taken over multiple cities in China show heightened activity outside crematoriums and funeral homes, appearing to contradict the country’s low official Covid-19 death figures and illustrating the severity of the outbreak in the world’s most populous country. 

The images, taken by the Colorado-based space technology company Maxar in late December and early January and shared with NBC News, show a parking lot has been built since early December at a funeral home in Tongzhou, on the outskirts of Beijing, the capital. 

Other images from cities around the country show a greater number of cars parked outside funeral homes compared with similar periods in past years. 

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WNU Editor: The prediction is that there will be 1.7 million deaths across China by the end of April 2023.

China Says 60,000 People Have Died Of Covid In The Past Five Weeks

 

CNBC/Reuters: China reports huge rise in Covid deaths after WHO criticized Beijing for heavily undercounting 

* China said on Saturday nearly 60,000 people with COVID-19 had died in hospital since it abandoned its zero-COVID policy last month. 

* In early December, Beijing abruptly dismantled its strict three-year anti-virus regime of frequent testing, travel curbs. 

* The World Health Organization said this week that China was heavily under-reporting deaths from COVID, although it was now providing more information on its outbreak. 

China said on Saturday nearly 60,000 people with COVID-19 had died in hospital since it abandoned its zero-COVID policy last month, a huge increase from previously reported figures that follows global criticism of the country’s coronavirus data.

In early December, Beijing abruptly dismantled its strict three-year anti-virus regime of frequent testing, travel curbs and mass lockdowns after widespread protests in late November, and cases have surged since then across the nation of 1.4 billion. 

A health official said on Saturday that COVID fever and emergency hospitalizations had peaked and the number of hospitalized patients was continuing to decline. 

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WNU Editor: A current Chinese study estimates 900M COVID infections as of January 11 .... Covid cases in China touch 900 million - study (BBC). More here .... Chinese Study Estimates 900M COVID Infections (VOA). 

China Says 60,000 People Have Died Of Covid In The Past Five Weeks  

China reports 60,000 COVID-related deaths, says peak passed -- AP  

China says 60,000 people have died of Covid since early December -- CNN  

Nearly 60,000 people have died of Covid in China in past five weeks -- The Guardian  

China reports 60,000 coronavirus-related deaths from December after concerns of underreporting -- FOX News  

China reports about 60,000 COVID-related deaths amid int'l criticism -- Kyodo News

China Suspends New Visas For South Koreans And Japan Over Covid-19 Dispute

 

ABC News Australia: China suspends issuing visas in Japan, South Korea to retaliate for COVID-19 tests for travellers putting Australia at risk of similar treatment 

China has suspended issuing short-term visas in South Korea and Japan after announcing it would retaliate against countries that required negative COVID-19 tests from Chinese travellers. 

China ditched mandatory quarantines for arrivals and allowed travel to resume across its border with Hong Kong on Sunday, removing the last major restrictions under the "zero-COVID" regime after Beijing abruptly reversed its "zero COVID" policy last month following historic protests. 

But the virus is spreading unchecked among its 1.4 billion people, and worries over the scale and impact of the outbreak have prompted countries including Australia, Japan, South Korea, the United States to require negative COVID-19 tests from travellers from China. 

Read more ....  

Update #1: China halts visas for Japan, South Korea in COVID-19 spat (AP)  

Update #2: China suspends issuing visas in Japan and South Korea (Reuters)  

WNU Editor: The expectation is that China will continue to retaliate against other countries .... China likely to retaliate against more countries over Covid travel curbs (SCMP).

China 'White Lung' Cases Raising Concerns that A New Covid Variant, Or A New Disease, Is Now Spreading In The Population

 

Asia Times: ‘White lungs’ scare Chinese and their travel hosts 

Authorities abroad gird up for Covid policy relaxations’ complications that many in China also hadn’t foreseen 

More places, including Taiwan and the United States, have reintroduced Covid test requirements for people coming from mainland China after the health department in Italy said about half of the newly-arrived Chinese travelers tested positive. 

 Other countries such as the United Kingdom, the Philippines and South Korea said they were considering launching similar rules as they were worried that new Covid strains could have emerged amid China’s large-scale virus infections. 

Chinese medical experts said about 5% of those who sought treatment at hospitals and clinics had pneumonia; most of them could fully recover, but a few would die within days. Authorities warned that both elderly and young Covid patients could have serious pneumonia if they should fail to seek medical treatments in an early stage.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: ‘White Lung’ Phenomenon Among China’s COVID-19 Spike (NTD)  

Update #2: Q&A: Why China’s ‘White Lung’ Phenomenon Is Unique (NTD)  

WNU Editor: I hope this is just an overblown story. But China's lack of transparency is not helping in calming people's fears .... U.S. and global health officials are worried about lack of transparency from China on Covid outbreak (CNBC).

As Covid Spreads In China Patients Overwhelm Chinese Hospitals

 

FOX News: China COVID crisis: Beijing hospital runs out of beds, families burn bodies in streets as deaths spike 

One report claimed that hospitals told patients to bring their own bed due to shortage 

A Beijing hospital has run out of beds, forcing patients to rest on stretchers or lay on the hallway floors as COVID-19 infections run rampant in the country and stretch thin the public health sectors’ resources. 

"We have no beds, we have no oxygen, and we have a room full of sick people waiting," a health care worker in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital’s emergency room told the Financial Times ahead of Christmas. 

China has watched as cases of COVID-19 spiked following the rollback of the country’s "zero-COVID" policy as the abrupt shift occurred without any increase in vaccinations. Instead, officials tried to simply bolster hospitals in anticipation of a new COVID-19 wave by establishing hundreds of "fever clinics" to increase testing.  

Read more .... 

More News On Covid-19 In China  

Beds run out at Beijing hospital as COVID-19 spreads -- AP 

COVID patients overwhelm Chinese hospitals -- Axios  

WHO: No New Variant, Deaths Under-represented in China -- VOA  

China ‘under-representing’ true impact of Covid outbreak, WHO says -- CNN  

China Says 'Difficult to Tell' True COVID Death Toll As It Begins Surveys -- Newsweek  

China defends Covid reporting, says numbers not as bad as elsewhere -- SCMP

World Health Organization warns XBB.1.5 is the 'most transmissible' Covid variant yet

 

Daily Mail: World Health Organization warns XBB.1.5 is the 'most transmissible' Covid variant yet — as figures show strain makes up 70% of cases in Northeast US 

* But there are no signs XBB.1.5 is more deadly than previously dominant variants 

* Strain is behind four in 10 infections nationally in US - up from 4% a month ago 

* WHO said today: 'We are concerned about its growth advantage in particular' 

A Covid strain spreading rapidly in the US is the 'most transmissible subvariant that has been detected yet', according to the World Health Organization. 

But XBB.1.5 appears to be just as mild as its ancestor Omicron strains, with hotspots in Northeast America yet to record an uptick in hospital admissions. 

The new subvariant - another spinoff of Omicron - is behind roughly 70 percent of new infections in the worst affected parts of the US and four in 10 nationally.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Here we go again.

China's Hospitals And Crematoriums Are Being Overwhelmed Because Of Covid

 

Bloomberg: Bodies Pile Up in China as Covid Surge Overwhelms Crematoriums 

(Bloomberg) -- For five days the elderly Chinese lady’s corpse lay decomposing in the Shanghai house she shared with her family before a hearse finally arrived to take away her remains. 

“We’re lucky it’s the cold winter time,” a relative said last week at Shanghai’s Longhua Funeral Home, recounting the ordeal as the family waited their turn to say goodbye along with roughly 300 other masked mourners, many of whom asked not to be identified discussing sensitive issues. 

While the octogenarian woman didn’t die of Covid-19, the explosion of cases across China is overwhelming crematoriums, making it hard for anyone to find an open slot.   

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Disaster scenarios are being projected .... China To See 25,000 Deaths A Day By Mid-Jan? Study Predicts COVID Disaster (Republic World). 

More News On Covid In China  

Major Chinese cities past Covid peak as wave moves to rural areas, new study projects -- CNN  

Leading WHO advisers call for 'realistic' COVID data from China at key meeting -- Reuters 

China media plays down COVID severity as WHO seeks detail on variants -- Reuters  

Why China's Covid wave is stirring fear -- France 24  

China is now the centre of Covid. The world should be watching – and testing -- Devi Sridhar, The Guardian

New Omicron Variant Sweeping The U.S.

 

CNBC: Highly immune evasive omicron XBB.1.5 variant is quickly becoming dominant in U.S. as it doubles weekly 

* The Covid omicron XBB.1.5 variant has nearly doubled in prevalence over the past week and now represents about 41% of new cases in the U.S., according to CDC data. 

* XBB.1.5 is highly immune evasive and appears to bind better to cells than other members of the XBB omicron subvariant family. 

* Scientists at Columbia University have warned that the rise of subvariants such as the XBB family could “result in a surge of breakthrough infections as well as re-infections.” 

The Covid omicron XBB.1.5 variant is rapidly becoming dominant in the U.S. because it is highly immune evasive and appears more effective at binding to cells than related subvariants, scientists say. 

XBB.1.5 now represents about 41% of new cases nationwide in the U.S., nearly doubling in prevalence over the past week, according to the data published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The subvariant more than doubled as a share of cases every week through Dec. 24. In the past week, it nearly doubled from 21.7% prevalence.  

Read more .... 

New Omicron Variant Sweeping The U.S.  

Over 40% of U.S. COVID cases caused by Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 - CDC -- Reuters  

COVID variant XBB.1.5 now accounts for 40 percent of cases in the US: CDC -- The Hill  

COVID-19 hospitalizations rise as new variant emerges -- UPI  

COVID-19 XBB variant: What to know -- FOX News

China Battling A Massive Wave Of Covid Infections

Patients line up for treatment at the emergency department of Beijing Chaoyang hospital, amid the coronavirus outbreak in Beijing, China December 27, 2022 

 Daily Mail: China's 'elite are stockpiling Pfizer's Covid drug' as country battles huge wave of fresh infections that has left hospitals overflowing with patients after abandoning Zero Covid 

* Basic medicines and Paxlovid Covid treatment are extremely difficult to obtain 

* Hospitals in densely populated Chinese city's are inundated with Covid patients 

* Rural areas are quickly ramping up medical facilities ahead of New Year holiday 

* Countries around the globe are implementing testing for Chinese travellers 

China's abrupt lifting of many of its tough pandemic restrictions earlier this month has allowed the virus to spread rapidly in a country where most people have little access to treatment.  

Spiraling infections have led to shortages of cold medicine, long lines at fever clinics, and at-capacity emergency rooms turning away patients.   

Beijing city authorities plan to distribute the oral Covid drug Paxlovid at local hospitals and community clinics, but the drug - a combination of antivirals nirmatrelvir and ritonavir produced by Pfizer - remains extremely difficult to obtain for ordinary people.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: My friends in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Fujian province) are telling me that the health care system has broken down. 

There are no official public numbers on how many are sick and how many have died, but the estimates that are being reported by outside organizations are huge .... China COVID deaths accelerate to 9,000 a day - UK research firm Airfinity (Reuters).  

Update: This is the big worry now .... Experts Weigh Risk of New COVID Mutations from China (VOA).

A Number Of Countries Are Now Requiring A Negative COVID-19 Test For Travellers From China

 

Axios: China travel: More countries impose COVID requirements 

A number of countries are stepping up COVID-19 requirements for travelers coming from China amid an uptick in cases in the country.  

Driving the news: China's deaths connected to the coronavirus are rising just as the government loosened its travel restrictions and opened its borders for overseas travel.  

Details: U.S. health officials announced Wednesday that they'll require travelers from China to show a negative COVID-19 test result before flying to the country.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: When it comes to Covid-19 no one trusts Beijing .... Lack of info on China’s COVID-19 surge stirs global concern (AP) 

 A Number Of Countries Are Now Requiring A Negative COVID-19 Test For Travellers From China 

EU mulls stance on China travelers amid COVID concerns -- DW  

EU states looking for joint stance on Covid testing for travellers from China -- The Guardian  

UK ministers under pressure to screen China arrivals for Covid -- The Guardian  

Countries imposing COVID rules for travellers from China -- Al Jazeera  

Factbox-COVID rules for travellers from China around the world -- Reuters  

List of Countries Imposing New Covid Travel Restrictions for China Visitors -- Bloomberg

Half Of Passengers On Two Chinese Flights To Italy Have COVID

 

Bloomberg: Milan Reports 50% of Passengers on China Flights Have Covid 

(Bloomberg) -- Italian health authorities will begin testing all arrivals from China for Covid after almost half of the passengers on two flights to Milan were found to have the virus. 

They are also sequencing the Milan tests to see if there are new variants, the Health Ministry said in a statement. 

If a new strain is found, officials may impose stricter curbs on travel from the country. China has seen outbreaks of the virus since the government there abandoned its strict zero-Covid policies. Uncertainty over the scale of the spread has prompted countries, including the US, to consider new restrictions on entry.  

Read more .... 

Half Of Passengers On Two Chinese Flights To Italy Have COVID  

Nearly half of passengers from China to Milan have COVID: Italian officials -- The Hill  

Half of the passengers on 2 flights from China had COVID: report -- NYPost 

Half of passengers on China flight to Italy have COVID - as US becomes fifth country to tighten restrictions on Chinese travellers -- SKY News

US Considering New COVID-19 Rules For Travelers From China

 

CNBC: U.S. weighs new measures for travelers from China as infections surge on mainland 

* “There are mounting concerns in the international community on the ongoing COVID-19 surges in China and the lack of transparent data,” U.S. officials said. 

* Japan announced it will require a negative Covid test for travelers arriving from mainland China starting Dec. 30. 

* Taiwan will also test arrivals from mainland China starting Jan. 1, the government said in a statement 

The U.S. government is considering imposing new Covid rules for travelers from China, officials said, citing concerns over virus-related data released by the Chinese government.

“There are mounting concerns in the international community on the ongoing COVID-19 surges in China and the lack of transparent data, including viral genomic sequence data, being reported from the PRC,” officials said in a statement late Tuesday. 

“Without this data, it is becoming increasingly difficult for public health officials to ensure that they will be able to identify any potential new variants and take prompt measures to reduce the spread,” the officials said.  

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WNU Editor: No kidding .... China's sudden pivot on Covid restrictions sparks global jitters (France 24). More here .... U.S., other countries consider limitations on Chinese travelers (UPI). 

Sighhhh .... it feels like we are repeating history. 

US Considering New COVID-19 Rules For Travelers From China  

UPDATE 1-U.S. weighs new COVID rules for travelers from China, U.S. officials say -- Reuters 

US considering new COVID restrictions on travelers from China -- ABC News  

U.S. weighs new COVID restrictions on travelers from China -- CBS  

US considers Covid-19 measures for travelers from China -- CNN  

China Covid: US considers restrictions on Chinese arrivals -- BBC

 US mulls COVID restrictions for arrivals from China: report -- DW

China's Health System Is Being Overwhelmed By COVID Surge

 

Reuters: China's COVID cases overwhelm hospitals 

One in Shanghai said it expected half of the city’s 25 million people to get infected by the end of the week after Christmas.

In Beijing, healthcare workers said patients might have to be turned away due to a lack of beds and resources. 

Howard Bernstein is a doctor at the city’s United Family Hospital: "The hospital is just overwhelmed from top to bottom. So, the ER is filled up with people. 

A lot of them got admitted to the hospital, they’re not getting better in a day or two, so there’s no flow. 

And therefore people keep coming to the ER, but they can’t go upstairs into hospital rooms. So they are stuck in the ER.” 

The new upsurge comes after President Xi Jinping’s government suddenly abandoned strict measures aimed at stamping out the virus.  

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WNU Editor: Another sign on how bad the health crisis is becoming in China .... China stops publishing daily Covid figures amid reports of explosion in cases (The Guardian).  

Update: Chinesse President has commented on the current health crisis (see below):

#UPDATE Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged officials to take steps to "feasibly protect people's lives", in his first remarks on #COVID since Beijing dramatically loosened hardline containment measures this month. pic.twitter.com/8jyZge3CG4

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) December 26, 2022

China's Health System Is Being Overwhelmed By COVID Surge 

President Xi admits that China has to tackle Covid in a 'more targeted way' as the country reopens to surge of to '5,000 deaths a day', queues for morgues and MILLIONS of infections after years of draconian lockdowns -- Daily Mail  

Xi urges steps to 'protect' lives as China battles Covid wave -- AFP  

Packed ICUs, crowded crematoriums: COVID roils Chinese towns -- AP  

Medical staff on front line of China's COVID fight say hospitals are 'overwhelmed' -- ABC News Australia 

COVID-19: China's health system at its limits -- DW

China Facing A Massive Surge In Covid Cases. Beijing Estimates A Staggering 37 Million Cases A Day!

 

Bloomberg: China Estimates Covid Surge Is Infecting 37 Million People a Day 

(Bloomberg) -- Nearly 37 million people in China may have been infected with Covid-19 on a single day this week, according to estimates from the government’s top health authority, making the country’s outbreak by far the world’s largest.  

As many as 248 million people, or nearly 18% of the population, likely contracted the virus in the first 20 days of December, according to minutes from an internal meeting of China’s National Health Commission held on Wednesday, confirmed with people involved in the discussions. 

If accurate, the infection rate would dwarf the previous daily record of about 4 million, set in January 2022.  

Beijing’s swift dismantling of Covid Zero restrictions has led to the unfettered spread of the highly contagious omicron variants in a population with low levels of natural immunity. More than half the residents of Sichuan province, in China’s southwest, and the capital Beijing have been infected, according to the agency’s estimates.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: The numbers are staggering .... 250MILLION people have caught Covid in China in December, officials estimate amid warnings surge could spawn doomsday variant (Daily Mail). 

China Facing A Massive Surge In Covid Cases  

China estimates COVID surge is infecting 37 million people a day - Bloomberg News -- Reuters

China estimates 37 million a day are being infected by COVID spike -- The Hill  

China is likely seeing over a million COVID cases and 5,000 deaths a day, report says. But Beijing's official data is showing 7 deaths so far this week. -- The Insider 

Shanghai hospital warns of 'tragic battle' as COVID spreads -- Reuters  

As crematoriums fill up, China shifts how it counts Covid deaths -- CNN 

'A very hard road ahead’ for China as COVID-19 cases spiral -- AP

New Covid Model For China Predicts Over 1 Million Deaths In 2023

 

CNBC/Reuters: New Covid model predicts over 1 million deaths in China through 2023 

* China’s national health authority has not reported any official Covid deaths since the lifting of Covid restrictions. The last official deaths were reported on Dec. 3. Total pandemic fatalities stand at 5,235. 

* Other experts expect some 60% of China’s population will eventually be infected, with a peak expected in January, hitting vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions, the hardest. 

* Key concerns include China’s large pool of susceptible individuals, the use of less effective vaccines and low vaccine coverage among those 80 and older, who are at greatest risk of severe disease. 

China’s abrupt lifting of stringent Covid-19 restrictions could result in an explosion of cases and over a million deaths through 2023, according to new projections from the U.S.-based Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). 

According to the group’s projections, cases in China would peak around April 1, when deaths would reach 322,000. About a third of China’s population will have been infected by then, IHME Director Christopher Murray said.  

Read more .... 

Update: China to suffer over 1 million COVID deaths in 2023, new model predicts (FOX News)  

WNU Editor: It looks like Beijing has made the decision that these projected losses are acceptable.

China Says It Is Now Facing A Surge In Covid Cases

China is seeing a spike in infections following the government's decision to reduce the scope of mandatory testing, allow some positive cases to quarantine at home and end large-scale lockdowns © Noel CELIS / AFP  

France 24: Top China expert says Covid 'spreading rapidly' after rules easing 

Beijing (AFP) – One of China's top health experts has warned of a surge in Covid-19 cases, state media said Sunday, in the wake of the government's decision to abandon its hardline coronavirus strategy. 

Shops and restaurants in Beijing are deserted as the country awaits a spike in infections following the decision to reduce the scope of mandatory testing, allow some positive cases to quarantine at home and end large-scale lockdowns. 

Top epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan told state media in an interview published Sunday that the Omicron strain of the virus prevalent in China was highly transmissible and could lead to a surge in cases.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: China is expecting the worse .... China struggles with COVID infections after controls ease (AP). More here .... China's Covid Zero Exit Could Lead to Virus Cases Surging, Over 2 Million Deaths (Bloomberg).