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China’s Top Medical Adviser Says Omicron Risks Similar To Flu

China’s top medical adviser, Zhong Nanshan, played down risks of Covid-19, saying the fatality rate from the omicron variant of the virus is in line with influenza.

Morning commuters at a subway station in Shanghai, China, on Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. Government officials over the past week signaled a transition away from the harshest Covid containment measures, which have weighed on the economy and prompted thousands of demonstrators to take to the streets to voice their anger. Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
Morning commuters at a subway station in Shanghai, China, on Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. Government officials over the past week signaled a transition away from the harshest Covid containment measures, which have weighed on the economy and prompted thousands of demonstrators to take to the streets to voice their anger. Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

China’s top medical adviser, Zhong Nanshan, played down risks of Covid-19 in an interview with state news agency Xinhua, saying the fatality rate from the omicron variant of the virus is in line with influenza.

The death rate from omicron is around 0.1%, similar to the common flu, and the infection rarely reaches the lungs, Zhong was quoted in an interview with Xinhua Saturday. Most people recover from the variant within seven to 10 days, he said, according to the news agency.

Zhong’s comment follows the Chinese government’s latest line on the coronavirus, which plays down the disease’s dangers as China moves toward exiting its Covid Zero policy. The nation reported 10,514 local infections for Saturday, more than 20% lower than Friday, raising doubts about the accuracy of case numbers because fewer people are being tested. 

There’s an “urgent need” to increase booster-shot rates as travel during upcoming holidays will raise the risk of a large-scale spread, Zhong was quoted as saying. 

“It’s unlikely people will stay put for the 2023 Lunar New Year holiday so I advise those who will travel home to get booster shots so that even if they are infected, symptoms will be mild,” Zhong said.

The Lunar New Year holiday runs from Jan. 21 to Jan. 27 but usually lasts about 40 days as people take off before and after the official break. Hundreds of millions of Chinese migrate to their home provinces for family reunifications during New Year. 

In a Sunday commentary, the Communist Party’s flagship People’s Daily said local governments have swiftly put into practice the 10 new Covid measures announced by the National Health Commission last week, including a reduction of mass testing and loosening of quarantine rules. Regions including Chongqing, and cities in Liaoning, Shandong and Guangdong have urged schools to resume offline teaching, the paper reported separately. 

These Are the 10 New Covid Rules China Will Follow on Path to Reopening

These new measures will pave the way for China to further optimize Covid control in the future and eventually claim victory over the outbreak, the commentary said. 

Still, China’s road to reopening could be “bumpy,” which coupled with the scenario of a mild recession in Europe and the US may lead to a tougher economic climate, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. President John Waldron via video link at Shanghai’s Bund Summit. 

“That will obviously have some negative implications for growth,” Waldron said, in remarks that underscore how lenders are gauging the impact of China’s pivot from a Covid Zero policy 

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