China, which had stood out thanks to a “zero COVID-19” strategy, is now facing a strong wave caused by the Omicron variant. An upsurge in the number of cases which is probably caused by “the low level of immunization” in the country, say experts.
Updated at 0:00
China on Tuesday reported 5,280 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the highest tally since the very first epidemic wave in early 2020. A striking number of cases for the country which applies a policy “ zero COVID-19” in the face of the epidemic.
“Despite our measures, we were surprised in Quebec with the transmission speed of Omicron, so this is probably the reason why China is seeing a sudden increase,” says Nathalie Grandvaux, researcher at the research laboratory on host response to viral infections at the University of Montreal Hospital Center.
So far, China has managed to control outbreaks through local lockdowns, mass screenings and controlling its population through tracing apps, while keeping the country’s borders virtually closed. .
“They are taking more drastic measures than what we have seen in Quebec to block transmission, so they may control this wave quite effectively, but we will see if their zero COVID-19 technique will hold up against Omicron”, spear Mme Grandvaux.
Amid a record spike in COVID-19 cases, the 17 million people of Shenzhen, a tech hub in southern China, were locked down on Monday, while restrictions were imposed in other major cities across the country. In Shanghai, China’s most populous metropolis, residential neighborhoods are cordoned off.
Low immunity
Experts fear that the few people infected in China since the start of the pandemic have harmed him. “Natural infection adds individual protection, which makes it possible to ward off the arrival of a virus. Unlike many countries, there have not been many people in China who have been infected with the virus,” says Benoit Barbeau, virologist and professor in the department of biological sciences at the Université du Québec à Montréal.
China has recorded just 116,000 cases for 1.4 billion people since the start of the pandemic. By comparison, Canada has recorded more than 3.3 million cases for a population of 38 million.
The arrival of a new variant in a virgin country like China can cause damage. The risk of the virus spreading is still quite significant.
Benoit Barbeau, virologist and professor of biological sciences
“Several countries that had opted for this strategy [zéro COVID-19] gave up, because they realized that it was not sustainable in the long term”, adds Mme Grandvaux.
She reminds us that the strategy is a laudable but unrealistic goal. “It is not easy to close the population to the rest of the world. It was working when we thought the pandemic was going to last six months, but we are now at two years, ”she says.
According to the specialist, it is essential to take drastic measures, but you also need a plan to exit the pandemic. “And I don’t see how China is going to get there,” she concludes.
A widespread rise
Other countries, such as France, are facing an increase in the number of cases. The country is currently recording a daily average of more than 65,000 infections, up from 50,646 last week.
The College of Physicians of Quebec recalled Monday the importance of being “very vigilant” in light of the “significant resurgence of cases internationally”. “Let’s protect ourselves and think of the most vulnerable,” he said on Twitter.
The pandemic has officially killed more than 6,041,660 people worldwide since the end of December 2019. The United States is the country with the most deaths (967,552), ahead of Brazil (655,078), l India (515,877) and Russia (361,344), according to the most recent report from Agence France-Presse.
For its part, the World Health Organization estimates that the toll of the pandemic could be two or three times higher than that officially established.
With Agence France-Presse