China may be hit by second wave of coronavirus in November, says expert

China and other countries could be hit by a second wave of coronavirus in November, an expert has warned as the world's second largest economy limped back to normalcy after a three-month-long grim battle against the pandemic.

Zhang Wenhong, who heads the Covid-19 clinical expert team in Shanghai, said countries would have to take a flexible approach to recurring outbreaks.

While countries around the world may be able to bring the deadly pandemic under adequate control by autumn, the coming winter may bring a second wave of infections in China and elsewhere, he said.

Zhang's comments come even as Chinese officials gradually eased quarantine restrictions as part of efforts to revive the country's economy.

As of Wednesday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in China reached 82,341. Altogether 3,342 people have died of the disease, according to the National Health Commission of China.

Predicting that the US will bring its outbreak under control by May, Zhang also called for the two countries to cooperate more closely on the pandemic.