The Covid Spurt In China Has The Potential To Devastate The Global Economy

What is happening in China right now has fueled fears of a repeat of the dreadful Covid-19 outbreak, which killed millions of people worldwide. Similar to what Beijing did in 2019, Chinese authorities are concealing information about coronavirus infections from their own people and the rest of the world. This requires Beijing to trust its citizens and the international community and share ground realities.

Every day, millions of new cases are reported from China. Infections are spreading rapidly in major cities such as Shanghai and Beijing. Hospitals and funerals are overcrowded, and the streets are deserted. People are unable to obtain hospital beds. They are forced to sleep on hospital benches and floors. Even students are barred from attending classes. Teachers and school personnel are becoming ill. It is said to be the most severe outbreak since the Wuhan outbreak three years ago. The Chinese authorities appear helpless and unable to deal with the growing problem.

By the end of 2022, half of Shanghai’s 25 million people may have been infected. The Chinese government, on the other hand, has stopped disclosing information about new cases and current Covid patients.

According to World Health Organization (WHO) emergencies director Mike Ryan, there are relatively few cases in ICUs in China, but ICUs are filling up ironically. Around 250 million Chinese people are believed to have been infected during the first three weeks of December. This means that approximately 18% of China’s 1.4 billion people have contracted Covid.

Many people suspected China was concealing ground realities and underreporting infection numbers in early December. China’s National Health Commission cleared the air after it stopped releasing information, raising concerns about Chinese intentions. It is “highly suspicious,” according to health expert Lawrence Gostin.

According to epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding, the global impact of the expected 2022-2023 wave will be significant. Smaller countries will be hit harder, according to Dane Chamorro, head of global risks and intelligence at Control Risks, who adds that when the Chinese economy shrinks by 1%, the global economy shrinks by 0.5 %.