Covid rears its head in China , thanks to the abrupt exit from the restrictions established by the authorities and an ineffective vaccination campaign.

The curve of the number of infections in the country has suddenly risen for about two weeks, when the government, following the protests, decided to dismantle the strict zero-Covid regime.

Beijing runs for cover, increasing the number of intensive care beds, the number of doctors available and stocks of medicines : state media report it, as reported by the Guardian. According to CNN , the death toll could reach almost 1 million , as the country prepares to face an unprecedented wave of infections that spread from large cities to vast rural areas.

“The wave of infections would probably overload many local health systems across the country,” reads the analysis (made by three professors from the University of Homg Kong) published on the Medrxiv preprint server.

The authorities have admitted that it is "impossible" for the system to keep track of the number of newly infected and the official count is at odds with reports of deaths and the increased work of funeral homes. The current wave is expected to peak in major cities this month, before the second and third waves can hit following Lunar New Year travel and subsequent return to work.

In the meantime, absences from work due to Covid have already caused disruptions in production and supply chains .

(Unioneonline/D)