2023-06-08 05:12:20
Countries around the world, including Korea, are easing quarantine measures following the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19, Corona 19) and restoring daily life. But in China, an analysis suggests that millions of people will be infected with COVID-19 every six months.
On the 7th (local time), the international academic journal Nature reported that as the Corona 19 pandemic repeats itself every six months in China, up to hundreds of millions of people may be infected. It cited scientists’ analysis that such an epidemic would repeat itself due to the complete lifting of quarantine measures in China and the emergence of a highly contagious variant virus.
Ali Mokdad, a professor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Analysis (IHME) at the University of Washington, USA, said, “Unfortunately, in China, there is a risk that many people will be infected with Corona 19 periodically and repeatedly in the future.” A serious mutant virus will be created,” he predicted.
In China, the number of people infected with COVID-19 has been increasing rapidly since June. It is known that the cause of this pandemic is the XBB.1.5 mutation first identified in India in August last year. According to a report by Nature, some infectious disease experts in China predicted that up to 65 million people could be infected with the XBB.1.5 mutation by the end of this month at the earliest.
This large-scale infection is the first wave of resurgence that occurred after the Chinese government lifted all quarantine measures in December.
The COVID-19 pandemic in December last year reportedly infected 85% of China’s population. Currently, more than 90% of China’s population has completed vaccination. However, as the immune effect of the vaccine gradually decreases, immunity is weakening, and the XBB.1.5 infection rate, which has the ability to evade immunity, may increase rapidly.
“The XBB.1.5 mutation may not cause a surge in deaths and hospitalizations, but the surge in infections itself will put a strain on China’s medical system,” Mokdad said. Qiao Yunlong, a researcher in immunology at Peking University in China, said, “Unlike the large-scale infection in December, the pandemic is likely to progress over several months due to differences in which mutations people have immunity to.”
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