COVID-19 cases reportedly rising in China. A matter of global concern?

Some localities in China are witnessing a small increase in the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, Global Times reported, adding that a large-scale outbreak is unlikely. Any spike in Covid cases in China mostly becomes a matter of global concern as analysts and experts have often raised doubt over the data released by Beijing.

As mentioned in the report, China's disease control officials said on Wednesday that the spike in cases was recorded (the exact number of cases not revealed) amid discussions about whether or not there will be a resurgence during the upcoming five-day May Day holidays.

The report mentioned that during the upcoming May Day holidays, there will be gatherings similar to the Chinese Lunar New Year that occurred after China had scaled down Covid restrictions.

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The Chinese authorities urged the citizens to be cautious and also instructed hospitals to be on high alert. He Qinghua, who is an official from the National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control, ruled out the possibility of a widespread outbreak.

As quoted by Global Times, at a press conference on Wednesday, he said the Covid situation in China is stable but new infections appear to be gradually increasing in some areas. This is partly because herd immunity is diminishing.

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The official also reflected on Covid statistics as he said that in early April this year, the number of cases was at the lowest in China since the outbreak in December last year. But he admitted that the daily number of new positive cases has been rising a bit.

While weighing in on the fading herd immunity, Wang Guangfa, who is a respiratory expert from Peking University First Hospital, told the Global Times that the number of people who might get the Covid infection again will keep going up after some time, but it will eventually decrease.

Wang said, "Summer is not conducive for the transmission of the virus. In addition, patients re-infected with coronavirus tend to have milder symptoms."

Chen Chao, who is an expert from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention was mentioned as saying in the report that the health authorities haven't discovered evidence showing that the new variant XBB.1.16 (known as "Arcturus"). Analysts have said that the variant can lead to severe cases or even death. He stated that China has detected 57 carriers of XBB.1.16 and its sub-variants.

There's a decline in the number of new Covid cases globally, but experts from across the world have noted that the emergence of the new XBB.1.16 variant illustrates, the virus is still changing, and is still capable of causing new waves of disease and death.

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