As many of China's 1.4 billion citizens face a harsh winter due to a viral outbreak, officials claim illnesses have peaked.
While propaganda channels emphasize a fresh start, is the situation truly improving? Many residents are still trying to cope with the widespread COVID 19 spike. Others express concern about the future as they grieve loved ones who have died as a result of the sickness. Overall, China is projected to confront three covid 19 waves, two of which are still approaching, according to Chinas top health official Wu Zun You. He is China's leading epidemiologist and the face of the country's pandemic response, similar to Anthony Fauci in the United States. According to Wu, China's current infection increase will last until mid-January, with the second wave predicted to start this weekend due to mass travel for the lunar new year vacation.
From mid-January to mid-February, officials anticipate that more than two billion journeys would be made across China. The third infection surge would then occur from late February to mid-March. The tourists' return to work following the holiday. Those forecasts pose an important question: how many covid 19 infections and fatalities has China seen? Official data on the scope of the epidemic has been scarce.
China has reported that over 60000 individuals have died of covid 19 in hospitals in recent weeks. This official death toll comes as some physicians report being discouraged from including covid 19 on death certificates. Funeral homes in China are also spending more money on equipment such as corpse bags and cremation furnaces. Starting this week, China's internet authority warned it will block any "false" information concerning the virus's spread. This comprises video clips, photographs, and text that individuals submit on the internet.
Hundreds of millions of Chinese are returning to their hometowns for the lunar new year, which will be the first holiday free of health restrictions in three years on Sunday. The travel rush has fueled worries of an increase in covid 19 infection, but for many, this is their first chance to visit family in years.
