Experts Estimate That Shanghai’s 18M+ Residents Has Infected The CCP Virus

Foreign media reported on January 3rd that Chen Erzhen, the vice president of Ruijin Hospital and a member of Shanghai’s Covid Expert Advisory panel, estimated that at least 70% of Shanghai’s 25 million residents have been infected following the easing of the zero-COVID policies. Chen Erzhen stated in an interview that the spread of the epidemic in Shanghai was very wide and might have reached more than 18 million people, which is 20 to 30 times more than the epidemic peaked in Shanghai at the turn of the spring and summer last year.

As a result, the hospital’s manpower, equipment, and medical facilities have been stretched to their limit. In addition, he disclosed that in his hospital there are roughly 1,600 emergency admissions each day, twice as many as before the restrictions were lifted, and 80% of them are CCP virus patients. More than 100 ambulances came at the hospital every day, and half were high-risk patients over the age of 65.

Chinese health officials previously predicted that with the reversal of zero-COVID policy and the quick spread of the Omicron variant, the infections in Shanghai was expected to peak early this year. Other major cities like Beijing, Tianjin, Chongqing and Guangzhou had already experienced their peak. Chinese officials have also warned a wave may hit more rural areas as millions of people expect to travel back to their hometowns for the Spring Festival beginning on January 22nd.

Since the outbreak of the epidemic three years ago, many people’s desire to go home for the Spring Festival has been suppressed. Therefore, this year’s liberalization strategy will undoubtedly make the Spring Festival a “huge and tough challenges.”