After the Covid-19 restrictions were eased in China, the resurge in cases has overburdened the hospitals, according to Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist and health economist, who estimated that more than 60 per cent of the Chinese population is likely to be infected over the next 90 days.
In a tweet on Monday, the epidemiologist also revealed that the current Omicron variant has an R-value of 16, which means one person who gets the virus can infect 16 more. “The news out of China is bad. In China, the current Omicron variant has an R value of 16. For every 1 person that gets the virus, 16 more catch it too,” tweeted Feigl-Ding.
The news out of China is bad. In China, the current Omicron variant has an R value of 16. For every 1 person that gets the virus, 16 more catch it too.
Best thing you can do to protect yourself, family, and neighbors is get the bivalent vaccine.https://t.co/ZoYStx4dR0
— James Connor 🌊🌊 (@toJamesConnor) December 19, 2022
“Best thing you can do to protect yourself, family, and neighbors is get the bivalent vaccine,” he added.
The epidemiologist 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
China reported five new COVID-19 deaths on Monday, compared to two reported the previous day, increasing the nation’s fatalities to 5,242, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
The country reported 2,722 new symptomatic COVID-19 infections on Dec. 19, compared to 1,995 cases reported a day earlier.
Meanwhile, China may end up witnessing more than a million Covid deaths in 2023 if it continues with its decision of lifting stringent coronavirus curbs, a new projection from a US-based institute claimed. According to the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), by April 1, China could register 322,000 deaths, as the Covid cases will peak then.
“Nobody thought they would stick to zero-COVID as long as they did,” IHME director Christopher Murray said when the IHME projections were released online, news agency Reuters reported.
China eased its strict Covid rules this month following unprecedented public protests across the country. Following the lifting of the curbs, China has been experiencing a spike in infections, with fears that the virus could infect all of its 1.4 billion population during next month’s Lunar New Year holiday.
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).
According to Feigl-Ding, the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) goal is “let whoever needs to be infected, infected, let whoever needs to die, die. Early infections, early deaths, early peak, early resumption of production,” he said, according to the report.
