What’s new: The number of Covid deaths in China has dropped nearly 80% from a peak this month and the number of critically ill Covid patients fell 72% from its daily peak, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In a statement published Wednesday, the CDC said Covid deaths in Chinese hospitals declined to 896 on Monday from a peak of 4,273 on Jan. 4. Meanwhile, the number of seriously ill patients in hospitals fell to 36,000 on Monday from a peak of 128,000 on Jan. 5.
In addition, the number of positive cases reported daily by regional authorities peaked at nearly 7 million on Dec. 22 and dropped to a low of 15,000 on Monday, the statement said, referring only to Covid-related figures on the Chinese mainland.
The background: The disclosure of the figures coincides with the ongoing Lunar New Year holiday, for which mass travel has fueled fears of another surge in Covid infections even as officials say China is already past the peak of its current wave.
CDC chief epidemiologist Wu Zunyou said over the weekend that about 80% of China’s 1.4 billion people have been infected with the virus, so a major Covid rebound or a second wave is unlikely in the next two to three months.
However, the newly disclosed death toll may still be lower than the true number, as it excludes homebound patients and is based on a very narrow set of parameters adopted by the country in assigning Covid as the cause of death, which was officially confirmed last month after the abrupt end of the “zero-Covid” policy.
Contact reporter Wang Xintong (xintongwang@caixin.com) and editor Bertrand Teo (bertrandteo@caixin.com)
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