China’s daily Covid-19 Infections hit a Peak of More than 7 Million

(CTN News) –  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Wednesday that COVID-19 cases in China are down 72% from their high at the beginning of this month, while daily mortality among COVID-19 patients in hospitals is down 79% from their peak.

The statistics were released on the center’s website after a well-known government scientist said over the weekend that 80% of China’s 1.4 billion people were already infected, making it unlikely that COVID would make a significant comeback in the next two or three months.

After three years, China unexpectedly reversed its rigorous zero-COVID policy, and infections spiked across the world’s most populous nation.

Even though authorities claim that infection rates have peaked, some international experts have expressed concern about the possibility of an increase in cases in rural areas that are less prepared to handle them as millions of Chinese people travel home for family reunions during the current Lunar New Year holiday.

According to the CDC, the number of critically sick patients in China reached a high of 128,000 cases on January 4 and dropped to 36,000 by January 23.

Hospital fatalities peaked daily at 4,273 on January 4 and dropped to 896 by January 23. As of January 23, there were 110,000 visits to fever clinics, down 96.2% from a record of 2.867 million on December 22.

According to the CDC, the number of new infections “exceeding 7 million per day” and the number of daily fever outpatient consultations “peaked at 2.867 million” on December 22, 2022, when both the number of infected persons and the number of fever outpatient consultations reached a peak.

The information comes in response to remarks made last week by a National Health Commission official who said that China had reached its peak of COVID patients in fever clinics, ERs, and critical conditions.

Authorities said on January 12 that approximately 60,000 COVID patients have passed away in hospitals after China’s stringent zero-COVID policy was abandoned.

Because it doesn’t include those who pass away at home and many physicians have said they are discouraged from listing COVID as a cause of death, several experts believe the number likely grossly underestimates the true effect.

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