'Very concerned': WHO worried over rising cases of severe COVID in China

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that it is very concerned about the cases of severe COVID-19 in China. The agency’s comments come after China reported a relentless rise in COVID cases in the country. Projections have also suggested that there will be an explosion of cases in the country and fatality numbers are likely to reach a million. 

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters, "The WHO is very concerned over the evolving situation in China, with increasing reports of severe disease.” He said that the agency needed more detailed information on disease severity, hospital admissions and requirements for intensive care units support for a comprehensive assessment of the situation. 

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Meanwhile, a Shanghai hospital has told its staff to prepare for a “tragic battle” with the disease. It said that it expects half of the city’s 25 million people to get infected by the end of the year. Shanghai Deji Hospital predicted that 12.5 million in the city will get infected by the end of the year. It said that Christmas Eve, New Year’s Day, Lunar New Year in the country is going to be “unsafe”. 

Another epidemiologist, calling the resurgence “thermonuclear bad” said that 60 per cent of China and 10 per cent of the world’s population would be impacted by COVID in the next 90 days. 

The surge in COVID cases came about after China dismantled its ‘zero-COVID’ policy, following a spate of protests in the country. 

Chinese authorities have altered the way of counting COVID deaths, narrowing the scope of it. However, funeral parlour workers have said that demand has increased over the past week. 

Additionally, Germany sent its first batch of BioNTech COVID vaccines to China to be administered to German expatriates initially. China has nine domestically-developed COVID vaccines. 

(With agency inputs)

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