Massive surge in COVID cases in China; hospitals swamped with patients

After the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, China is experiencing a massive surge in coronavirus cases and hospitals are completely overwhelmed.

In recent days in Beijing the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant has hit services from catering to parcel deliveries. Funeral homes and crematoriums across the city of 22 million are also struggling to keep up with demand as more workers and drivers testing positive for coronavirus call in sick.

One of Beijing’s designated crematoria for Covid-19 patients has been flooded with dead bodies in recent days as the virus sweeps through the Chinese capital, offering an early hint at the human cost of the country’s abrupt loosening of pandemic restrictions, reported Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

Also read: China’s zero-COVID policy wreaks havoc as cases surge and so do protests

Lifting of restrictions

On December 7, China abruptly ended many key tenets of its zero-COVID policy that had been championed by President Xi. Since lifting restrictions, China has told its population of 1.4 billion to stay home if they have mild symptoms, as cities across China brace for their first waves of infections.

China has reported no Covid deaths in Beijing since the authorities announced four deaths between November 19 and 23. The information office for China’s cabinet, the State Council, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment sent late on Friday, ANI reported.

Dire prediction

Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist and health economist, estimates that more than 60 per cent of China and 10 per cent of Earth’s population are likely to be infected over the next 90 days with deaths likely in the millions.

⚠️THERMONUCLEAR BAD—Hospitals completely overwhelmed in China ever since restrictions dropped. Epidemiologist estimate >60% of 🇨🇳 & 10% of Earth’s population likely infected over next 90 days. Deaths likely in the millions—plural. This is just the start—🧵pic.twitter.com/VAEvF0ALg9

— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) December 19, 2022

Also read: China reports 2 new COVID deaths as some restrictions eased

A US-based research institute said this week that the country could see an explosion of cases and over a million people in China could die of COVID in 2023. A sharp surge in deaths would test authorities’ efforts to move China away from endless testing, lockdowns and heavy travel restrictions, and realign with a world that has largely reopened to live with the disease.