China: Covid-19 cases tend to increase slightly, low level

The Covid-19 epidemic has not yet surpassed the peak of the epidemic in 2024. According to data from the Chinese CDC, there were two small epidemics in March 2024 and from July to August 2024, when the positive rate was 21.1%.

Recently, Covid-19 infections in China have increased slightly but the scale is within a controllable range. (Source: Global Times)

Data from the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that since April, the positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 virus among cases with flu-like symptoms in emergency and outpatient departments in China has increased significantly, from 7.5% in the 14th week (March 31-April 6) to 16.2% in the 18th week (April 28-May 4), the highest among the pathogens monitored.

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By region, the southern provinces have higher positive rates than the northern ones, and some provinces that had an early increasing trend have now leveled off.

In terms of age, the group aged 15 and over had the highest positive rate for Covid-19, followed by rhinovirus (cold virus) and influenza virus infection; while in children under 14 years old, rhinovirus was the main cause.

Mr. Thai Ve Binh, chief expert of the Center for Infectious Diseases, No. 8 Hospital affiliated with Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, said that the total number of cases coming to the fever clinic has not increased significantly.

Although the Covid-19 positive rate has doubled, the number of severe cases hospitalized is very low, and the ICU currently has no critical cases.

The current symptoms are not much different from before and are gradually similar to the flu. According to Mr. Thai Ve Binh, after 10 months since the peak of the epidemic in the summer of 2024 (July-August 2024), the level of antibodies in the community has decreased, so the appearance of a small peak before the summer is normal. Currently, the seasonality of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is no longer as clear as in the early stages of the pandemic.

Previously, the Chinese CDC issued a health risk warning in April, saying that the Covid-19 epidemic situation was increasing slightly, but remained at a low level. The upward trend was expected to continue in April and May, but not exceed the peak in the summer of 2024, and the possibility of a major outbreak was low.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong (China), the situation has entered the peak of the epidemic. On May 13, Mr. Au Gia Vinh, Head of the Infectious Diseases Department of the Center for Health Protection, said that the level of Covid-19 infections has surpassed the peak in August 2024. The rate of respiratory samples testing positive for Covid-19 increased from 1.7% in mid-March to 11.4%.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/trung-quoc-cac-ca-benh-covid-19-co-xu-huong-gia-tang-nhe-muc-thap-314536.html