Covid-19 in China

[Martin B]

20 hours ago, Randy W said:

‘My heart is numb’: Chinese students stranded in U.S. by coronavirus
Lack of flights, strict quarantine requirements and their own Covid-19 infections are making it difficult for Chinese students abroad to travel home.

from NBCNews

 

Not just Chinese students, literally every Chinese person in the US is struggling with this to some extent. It's simply not feasible to travel back to China nowadays. I don't know of a Chinese person living in the US with a job and/or kids in the that has gone back.

I believe you must now quarantine at your departure city for 8 days and test twice. Then if the flight actually leaves (which is spotty), you've got 3+ weeks quarantine in China. A positive test is going to be a major headache. Costs are through the roof. Not sure what China's endgame is, as COVID is not going anywhere for the forseeable future.

[Martin B]

Cases apparently exploding in Hong Kong: https://fortune.com/2022/02/17/hong-kong-covid-cases-lockdown-outbreak-omicron-testing-new-york-london/

[Randy W]

These Vaccines Have Been Embraced by the World. Why Not in China?
Beijing once said it had two mRNA shots within reach and ready for approval — one homemade and one produced by a foreign company. Today, neither is available.

A Covid testing site in January in Beijing. China’s “zero-Covid” strategy has kept case numbers down, but the country still lacks an mRNA vaccine.Credit...Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

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The effectiveness of Chinese vaccines has been in doubt — partly because they use a century-old method for inoculation. Last spring, the country said it would approve BioNTech, the German mRNA shot made in partnership with Pfizer. Months later, China said that it was also close to producing its own mRNA vaccine. Neither are available today.

China’s lack of an mRNA shot — and its delay in approving a viable foreign option — has poked holes in Beijing’s victorious pandemic narrative and prompted experts to question whether the country’s go-it-alone approach is less triumphant than officials would have the world believe.

Under Xi Jinping, China’s top leader, the country has turned more inward, promoting self-reliance and championing development in areas like semiconductors and other technology.  The delay in recognizing a foreign mRNA vaccine now appears to be a part of that deeply political exercise.

China is so committed to competing with the United States and the West on science and technology that some in the scientific community say it is hard to imagine that the state hasn’t pulled out all the stops to develop a homegrown mRNA vaccine. That China has fallen behind on that front, and failed to approve a readily available foreign option, has left many experts baffled.

“We don’t know how decisions are made nowadays in China, but a better vaccine would definitely help in maintaining a zero-Covid policy,” said Jin Dongyan, a virologist at the University of Hong Kong who has urged his peers in mainland China to approve the BioNTech vaccine.

 . . .

Vaccines from Sinovac and Sinopharm help prevent hospitalization and death, but their ability to reduce transmission with variants such as Omicron is still in question. Sinovac has shown to be only 51 percent effective against preventing symptomatic disease, according to scientists in Brazil. The World Health Organization said Sinopharm has an efficacy of 78 percent.

Though the W.H.O. has signed off on both Chinese vaccines for emergency use, most Western governments favor mRNA technology.

 . . .

Unlike traditional vaccines that use an inactivated virus to trigger a response by the immune system, mRNA vaccines use a genetic molecule that assists cells to make proteins that can set off an immune response in the body. This response creates antibodies that are then used to fight the virus.

 

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

China reported 71 confirmed local COVID-19 infections on Monday, as health authorities mentioned a possible change to the country’s COVID-zero strategy. The cases occurred across eight provinces and province-level regions spanning the length and width of the country.

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/3162836137368558

China Planning Post Covid-Zero Policy; 71 Cases in Eight Provinces Monday
Epidemiologist from China CDC says teams are studying COVID policy that is ‘not zero cases and not laissez-faire.’

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Wu Liangyou, deputy director of the disease control bureau of the National Health Commission, said at a press conference Saturday that the disease is still spreading locally following the Spring Festival holiday.

Wu Zunyou, the chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a conference last Tuesday he was cautiously optimistic that the pandemic will end this year.

He said that Chinese health authorities are studying a move away from the zero-tolerance approach that has largely prevented the disease’s spread at the cost of cutting off most international travel. Several teams are studying how to improve China’s existing prevention and control measures, the medical expert said, developing an approach that is neither the current “zero cases” policy nor laissez-faire. The new approach will control the pandemic and put “people first and life first,” while also integrating with the international community to resume normal international exchanges and economic development, Wu said.

 

 

[Randy W]

 

China sees biggest Covid-19 surge in 2 years, steps up measures

On Friday, China logged its highest daily Covid-19 case count since its first national outbreak in 2020.

from the SCMP on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/717153009659633/

 

[Randy W]

Because "Count Dracula" was a heavy influence on American culture?

#Opinion: Russia on Thur announced that US-funded biological labs in #Ukraine were conducting experiments with bat coronavirus samples. The international community needs Washington's answers to many questions regarding US bio labs across the world. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202203/1254577.shtml

from the Global Times on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/globaltimesnews/posts/5070503776363815

What has US done with bat coronavirus in Ukraine? World deserves explanation

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There is no smoke without fire. Some netizens commented that the Americans seem to have a special preference for making vampire-themed movies, and the prototype of the vampire comes from bat. The Americans' experiments with bat coronavirus have cultural origins.

Discussions about US bio labs in Ukraine are turning heated. Earlier, the Kremlin revealed evidence that the US was involved in biological weapons research in Ukrainian labs. It also said that Ukraine had destroyed samples of various pathogens. On Tuesday, Victoria Nuland, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs of the US, told a congressional hearing that Ukraine has biological research facilities and that "we are working with the Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of the Russian forces."

Nonetheless, the US backtracked soon. On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki released eight continuous tweets, which not only accused Russia of making false claims about US biological weapons labs in Ukraine, but also blamed China of endorsing this propaganda. US media outlet Bloomberg ran an article titled "China Pushes Conspiracy Theory About US Labs in Ukraine." 

 

 

[Randy W]

Shanghai has shut schools and entertainment venues and placed thousands in quarantine as the city grapples with its most serious COVID-19 outbreak since the pandemic started two years ago.

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/3179430525709119

Shanghai Slows Down to Curb COVID-19 Spread
The city of 24 million has shut schools and entertainment venues and placed thousands in quarantine as it scrambles to contain its worst virus outbreak.

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China’s financial hub has logged over 700 infections — 89% of them asymptomatic — since the first case in the current wave was detected on March 1, according to local health authorities. On Friday, local authorities admitted that management loopholes at a downtown quarantine hotel accommodating returnees from overseas had led to the local outbreak. 

The city of over 24 million people wore a deserted look during the weekend — traffic was sparse, and malls and metro stations were relatively quiet amid a lack of locals and tourists. The city’s epidemic control unit urged residents to limit unnecessary travels, while travelers required a negative virus test 48 hours before leaving the city or after arrival.

 

 

 

[Randy W]

A viral video showing chaotic scenes from inside a top Shanghai hospital as the city battles its worst COVID-19 outbreak has once again raised questions about operational challenges and access to healthcare at times when medical institutions are sealed and services are temporarily suspended.

“We’re not trained to deal with infectious diseases, and we don’t have the proper quarantine supplies to enter a highly-risky area,” a nurse from the emergency ward is heard saying in the video, refusing to move to the floors with COVID-positive patients and their close contacts. “We don’t have a safe place to bathe or sleep, and no adequate time to rest.”

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/3179757419009763

COVID-19 Cases at a Shanghai Hospital Lead to Chaos, Lockdown
Video footage from inside the emergency unit of Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital shows distressed and underprepared staff.

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The Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital was immediately locked down on March 6 after detecting an “abnormal” nucleic acid test, with thousands of medical workers, patients, and their families stuck inside. It wasn’t until Sunday that video footage — reportedly filmed by a medical worker and posted on microblogging site Weibo — provided a glimpse from that day, with distressed nurses and others complaining of a situation reminiscent of what other cities experienced during previous outbreaks.

“We’re not trained to deal with infectious diseases, and we don’t have the proper quarantine supplies to enter a highly-risky area,” a nurse from the emergency ward is heard saying in the video, refusing to move to the floors with COVID-positive patients and their close contacts. “We don’t have a safe place to bathe or sleep, and no adequate time to rest.”

 

 

 

 

[Randy W]

Their job is to ensure vehicles and drivers follow a predetermined route and don’t make unnecessary stops or come in contact with locals. It’s unclear if specific taxi drivers choose to escort the trucks or are instructed to do so by city officials.

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/3180479755604196

Shenzhen Taxi Drivers Are Now Escorting Trucks From Hong Kong
Their job is to ensure vehicles and drivers follow a predetermined route and don’t make unnecessary stops or come in contact with locals.

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Their main task is to ensure the truck drivers stay in “closed-loop management” — China’s bubble-like system implemented to prevent possible virus spillover.

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A Shenzhen-based automobile insider, surnamed Chen, told Sixth Tone that taxis labeled as “cross-border transportation escort” wait for trucks with Hong Kong license plates at major highway intersections in the mainland city. He added that such taxis are barred from picking up passengers and receive a 500 yuan ($80) daily allowance from the government.

Shenzhen strengthened its virus control measures for cross-border truck drivers in early February, instituting strict rules at port entry points, operational facilities, and accommodation sites. Shenzhen transport authorities said last month that they had punished 882 truck drivers for violating the government’s COVID-19 regulations by either suspending their exemptions from quarantining upon entry for 60 days or having them permanently canceled.

 

 

[Randy W]

I'll be going for my booster shot this afternoon (my third shot).

As Shanghai battles an outbreak of COVID-19, the city has put at least 18 local universities and colleges in lockdown, mostly over the weekend, in citywide efforts to curb its worst COVID-19 outbreak since early 2020.

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/posts/3180768442241994

One Hundred Thousand Students Likely Locked Down in Shanghai
As the city battles an outbreak of COVID-19, at least 18 colleges and universities have confined students to campuses.

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On Monday noon, students at Fudan University crossed campus in single file, walking to lunch between rows of monitors. They had an hour to pick up food and get back to their dorms.

When the students crossed a road, volunteers held up isolation lines to guide students, each with a lunch box in hand. Security guards occasionally called out, “put your phone down!”

Except for three trips a day to pick up food, Fudan’s students are stuck in their rooms, taking online classes, playing board games, and chatting with roommates while waiting out a tentative 14-day campus quarantine.

The renowned university is adopting what it calls “bubble management,” as Shanghai has put at least 18 local universities and colleges in lockdown, mostly over the weekend, in citywide efforts to curb its worst COVID-19 outbreak since early 2020.

With larger schools home to tens of thousands of students at a time, the lockdown likely affects well over 100,000 students.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Xi says China to ‘stick with’ zero-COVID strategy
China has gone from reporting fewer than 100 daily infections just three weeks ago to more than 1,000 per day.

from Al Jazeera

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Speaking at a meeting of China’s top leaders on Thursday, Xi said the country should “continue to put people and life at the forefront, stick with scientific accuracy and dynamic-zero, and curb the spread of the epidemic as soon as possible”, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Beijing must “raise the level of scientifically accurate prevention and control and continuously optimise disease control measures”, the report quoted Xi as saying.

He called to “strengthen technological key areas like vaccination, rapid testing and drug research” to make virus curbs more “targeted”, CCTV said.

Xi also urged tighter virus controls at ports of entry and stressed the need to “swiftly control local clustered outbreaks”.

 

 

[Randy W]

Shanghai Students Sing from Balconies in COVID Déjà Vu Moment
A drone captured locked-down college students in Shanghai gathered on their dormitory balconies for a sing-along, in a throwback to the early days of the pandemic.

“Youth is fleeting. The pandemic has taken up three years of their youth," commented a netizen. 

Related read: http://ow.ly/9p9P50IlBMA

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/sixthtone/videos/497771141904191/

One Hundred Thousand Students Likely Locked Down in Shanghai
As the city battles an outbreak of COVID-19, at least 18 colleges and universities have confined students to campuses.

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The renowned university is adopting what it calls “bubble management,” as Shanghai has put at least 18 local universities and colleges in lockdown, mostly over the weekend, in citywide efforts to curb its worst COVID-19 outbreak since early 2020.

With larger schools home to tens of thousands of students at a time, the lockdown likely affects well over 100,000 students.

Students and staff at universities and colleges, including Fudan University, Tongji University, and East China Normal University, have been banned from leaving campuses while the schools conduct mass nucleic acid tests.

Shanghai, which contains over 60 universities and colleges, recorded five “confirmed,” or symptomatic, cases and 197 asymptomatic cases on Tuesday, bringing total local infections this month to over 1,000. The megacity currently has declared nine “medium-risk area” hotspots.

 

 

[Randy W]

How Omicron Is Challenging China’s Grip on COVID-19
A low vaccination rate among older Chinese is complicating the response to the current outbreak.

from the Sixth Tone

A volunteer guards a “risk area” in Xintiandi, Shanghai, March 17, 2022. VCG

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Fueled by Omicron and its even more rapidly spreading BA.2 subvariant, China’s current COVID-19 outbreak involves over 20,000 cases in 20 province-level areas around the country.

Public health experts tell Sixth Tone that the Chinese government now faces a conundrum: Maintain its strict “zero-COVID” policy that involves rigorous contact tracing and mass quarantining, but incur a steep economic cost due to the sheer number of cases; or loosen the reins but expose the country’s older adults, whose vaccination rates are relatively low, to heightened health risks.

 . . .

China’s strategy for the pandemic has been to use strict measures so as to buy time for developing and administering vaccines. Though it has been effective so far in avoiding the enormous caseloads of other countries, the emergence of highly contagious virus variants that even the most effective COVID-19 vaccines fail to stop has led scientists across the globe to conclude that herd immunity is no longer achievable.

“A virus like Omicron is simply unstoppable,” says Wang Jun, a pharmacologist at the University of Arizona. A zero-tolerance approach can work when a pathogen leads to obvious symptoms, he explains. But with Omicron, many people whose symptoms are minor are spreading the virus without knowing they have been infected. “It makes stopping the spread of the disease extremely hard,” Wang says.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 21, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

China: Shanghai to lock down for testing as COVID surges
The financial hub of 26 million people has become a testing ground for China’s ‘zero-COVID’ policy.

from Al Jazeera 

People line up outside a hospital during mass testing for COVID in Shanghai, China [Aly Song/Reuters]

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China’s financial hub of Shanghai says it will lock down the city in two stages to carry out COVID-19 testing over a nine-day period, after it reported a new daily record for asymptomatic infections.

Authorities said on Sunday they would divide Shanghai into two for the exercise, using the Huangpu River that passes through the city as a guide. Districts to the east of the river, and some to its west, will be locked down and tested between March 28 and April 1. The remaining areas will be locked down and tested between April 1 and 5.

Public transport, including ride-hailing services, in these areas will be suspended when they are locked down, the city government said on its official WeChat account, adding that unapproved vehicles will not be allowed on the roads.

It also said that all companies and factories will suspend manufacturing or work remotely during the lockdown, apart from those involved in offering public services or supplying food.

“The public is asked to support, understand and cooperate with the city’s epidemic prevention and control work, and participate in nucleic acid testing in an orderly manner,” the government added.

 

 

[Randy W]

Police control access to a tunnel leading to the locked-down Pudong district of Shanghai, amid efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 in China's financial capital, March 28, 2022.HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/GETTY

China locks down Shanghai, its biggest city, as Omicron fuels record surge in COVID cases

from CBS News