Dec 2022 - China Covid News

[NateM]

No idea about Japan but for India, even leaving politics aside, with 1.x billion population and public health care as it is on one hand and another country with 1.x billion population opening the floodgate at random time with zero checks and balances, zero reliable information sharing on the other hand, it makes more practical sense to err on the side of caution..

But there are already virtually zero checks and balances within India as well as with the other 6 billion people living outside of India and China. The idea that China presents some unique covid threat, when virtually every other country has completely given up trying to contain or even report on the spread of covid, is not credible.

And I'm sure this is an unpopular opinion, but: everyone can hate the HK and mainland government's covid policy, but the fact that HK has the precautions it has, being one of the most highly vaccinated places in the world, while still recording 100k+ weekly cases and 50+ deaths a day indicates it is still much more dangerous than most people/places are willing to admit. The reason why these seem so much higher in HK vs other countries is because HK is one of the only places in the world that is still catching and logging a significant portion of their cases. China was right in trying to hold off a massive wave of deaths as long as they could. Where they screwed up was in not forcing vaccination at the same time as any of those city/province-wide mass testing events and in not importing more effective vaccines from the west.

But now that China and HK are opening up, in a few weeks after they have fully revised their counting methodology and the number of cases/deaths tumbles, the same people cheering that practice in Singapore, India, and the West saying "Hey, see you stupid HKers: covid is over!" will point to HK/CN and shout "Look at this nefarious cover-up!".

[saltywetman]

But there are already virtually zero checks and balances within India as well as with the other 6 billion people living outside of India and China. The idea that China presents some unique covid threat, when virtually every other country has completely given up trying to contain or even report on the spread of covid, is not credible.

And I'm sure this is an unpopular opinion, but: everyone can hate the HK and mainland government's covid policy, but the fact that HK has the precautions it has, being one of the most highly vaccinated places in the world, while still recording 100k+ weekly cases and 50+ deaths a day indicates it is still much more dangerous than most people/places are willing to admit. The reason why these seem so much higher in HK vs other countries is because HK is one of the only places in the world that is still catching and logging a significant portion of their cases. China was right in trying to hold off a massive wave of deaths as long as they could. Where they screwed up was in not forcing vaccination at the same time as any of those city/province-wide mass testing events and in not importing more effective vaccines from the west.

But now that China and HK are opening up, in a few weeks after they have fully revised their counting methodology and the number of cases/deaths tumbles, the same people cheering that practice in Singapore, India, and the West saying "Hey, see you stupid HKers: covid is over!" will point to HK/CN and shout "Look at this nefarious cover-up!".

China is a naïve uninfected and poorly vaccinated population. The spread is proving to be rapid and overwhelming providing ideal conditions for a new variants to appear. I’m not suggesting doom and gloom but there is a chance for something new to pop up that could impact northern hemisphere health services already stretched with winter illnesses.

Compare countries asking for a negative Covid test to week of quarantine that travellers to HK/ China have had to put up with. It is not too onerous.

[TheBrit]

It is not too onerous.

But it is absolutely pointless. It won't stop new variants spreading so what is the point?

[NateM]

Schadenfreude, which, to be fair, China indulged in a fair amount over the past 3 years.

[ndt]

But there are already virtually zero checks and balances within India as well as with the other 6 billion people living outside of India and China. The idea that China presents some unique covid threat, when virtually every other country has completely given up trying to contain or even report on the spread of covid, is not credible.

And I'm sure this is an unpopular opinion, but: everyone can hate the HK and mainland government's covid policy, but the fact that HK has the precautions it has, being one of the most highly vaccinated places in the world, while still recording 100k+ weekly cases and 50+ deaths a day indicates it is still much more dangerous than most people/places are willing to admit. The reason why these seem so much higher in HK vs other countries is because HK is one of the only places in the world that is still catching and logging a significant portion of their cases. China was right in trying to hold off a massive wave of deaths as long as they could. Where they screwed up was in not forcing vaccination at the same time as any of those city/province-wide mass testing events and in not importing more effective vaccines from the west.

But now that China and HK are opening up, in a few weeks after they have fully revised their counting methodology and the number of cases/deaths tumbles, the same people cheering that practice in Singapore, India, and the West saying "Hey, see you stupid HKers: covid is over!" will point to HK/CN and shout "Look at this nefarious cover-up!".

Not even sure what exactly is your point so i will give it a pass..

[sarsi]

I am just completely confused by what the news is saying, the source of all info to us. There's no continuity in their reporting at all. I'm v sure all the papers up until few weeks ago wrote abt China and its unduly onerous zero covid policy, a bad move made by Xi he can't recall w/o losing face so now residents locked away made to test test vaccine and test just to fulfil the zero part - oh dear how will China catch up.

Now the unduly onerous part is gone. Sudden uturn w no logical explanation why - all true. But why would that suddenly change the whole narrative to abruptly dismantled restrictions that had contained the disease, vacc rates poor, so unprepared and now hell is breaking loose.. what does that even mean, so not really unduly onerous under zero covid then.. What happened to the narrative from before??

[Wooden]

But there are already virtually zero checks and balances within India as well as with the other 6 billion people living outside of India and China. The idea that China presents some unique covid threat, when virtually every other country has completely given up trying to contain or even report on the spread of covid, is not credible.

And I'm sure this is an unpopular opinion, but: everyone can hate the HK and mainland government's covid policy, but the fact that HK has the precautions it has, being one of the most highly vaccinated places in the world, while still recording 100k+ weekly cases and 50+ deaths a day indicates it is still much more dangerous than most people/places are willing to admit. The reason why these seem so much higher in HK vs other countries is because HK is one of the only places in the world that is still catching and logging a significant portion of their cases. China was right in trying to hold off a massive wave of deaths as long as they could. Where they screwed up was in not forcing vaccination at the same time as any of those city/province-wide mass testing events and in not importing more effective vaccines from the west.

But now that China and HK are opening up, in a few weeks after they have fully revised their counting methodology and the number of cases/deaths tumbles, the same people cheering that practice in Singapore, India, and the West saying "Hey, see you stupid HKers: covid is over!" will point to HK/CN and shout "Look at this nefarious cover-up!".

Agree, that's what I think, somehow the whole thing is more about politics than real health issues.

So far, there is no evidence that there is a new dangerous variant spreading in China. When the new variant delta emerged in India in 2021, we didn't see India trying to restrict its citizens from going out or the West preventing Indians from entering its borders. These are double standards and dirty politics

As for now, as long as the citizens of other countries have received reliable vaccines, there is nothing to worry about

[qhank]

So far, there is no evidence that there is a new dangerous variant spreading in China. When the new variant delta emerged in India in 2021, we didn't see India trying to restrict its citizens from going out or the West preventing Indians from entering its borders. These are double standards and dirty politics

https://time.com/6047130/australia-i...id-travel-ban/

[aw451]

But it is absolutely pointless. It won't stop new variants spreading so what is the point?

Probably more to discourage them from travelling in the first place, also probably part retaliatory action

[hullexile]

I am just completely confused by what the news is saying, the source of all info to us. There's no continuity in their reporting at all. I'm v sure all the papers up until few weeks ago wrote abt China and its unduly onerous zero covid policy, a bad move made by Xi he can't recall w/o losing face so now residents locked away made to test test vaccine and test just to fulfil the zero part - oh dear how will China catch up.

Now the unduly onerous part is gone. Sudden uturn w no logical explanation why - all true. But why would that suddenly change the whole narrative to abruptly dismantled restrictions that had contained the disease, vacc rates poor, so unprepared and now hell is breaking loose.. what does that even mean, so not really unduly onerous under zero covid then.. What happened to the narrative from before??

The press love bad news. So it will always be bad news and a disaster either happening or about to happen. That doesn't mean it is not true of course.

The problem is the lack of planning and preparation in China's policies.