Question about China

[Unsure33]

I see that there is quite a lot in the news about increased cases and strict lock downs again in China.

Does anyone know are they worried because they have a more serious variant than omricon?
Or is there low vaccination rates or a less affective vaccine ?

Or are they just carrying on with strict lockdown regardless of new milder variants and because the population has no natural immunity?

they are worried 1. because they have followed a strict policy of suppression 'til now so likely to get overwhelmed by omicron/deltacron 2. their vaccine is far far less effective then those we in the UK and EU have been lucky to have access to...i think against the original variant 2x sinovac was only around 50% effective against symptomatic infection and 3 doses have been shown to offer zilch protection against omicron infection.

They likely have the sister of omicron with little/no protection against it.

Thanks . I guess even if it’s a mild variant the numbers could be overwhelming as little protection then .

Points to remember
A) China has perused zero covid telling their population that other countries are stupid for not saving face is difficult and puts them in an impossible position
B) Chinese population is huge billions not millions and not particularly young, there was an arguement people who love restrictions kept making that “a small percentage of a big number is still a big number” and in China that is true! Even if only a small percentage need hospital treatment that is too many!
C) china outside if cities has a poor healthcare system that will very easily get overwhelmed
D) they have a less effective vaccine and no immunity from previous infection

Basically china do China and we do us, even those advocating for a stricter regime here seldom genuinely believe a Chinese approach will work now! It’s interestingly academically but not something for the west to consider

No, it's not a new variant we need to worry about.

China hasn't had their turn with Omicron yet, and because of the sheer numbers there and a less than ideal healthcare system they really can't afford to let it run wild. The other posters above me have given a good explanation of the details.

I am hopeful that we won't see more lethal variants now. Just weaker, more contagious ones.

twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1503420724853231623 This very good thread explains where China may be heading and why the authorities are panicking so much about COVID. A low rate of China's elderly is vaccinated, and omicron spread very very quickly. China is only a middle income country and its hospital capacity is pretty thin. It's not going to be pretty.

Omicron is milder than Delta but it’s thought it might not be milder than the original variant. It comes across as so much milder because so many are now vaccinated or else have had another variant of covid.

China is also largely reliant on their own vaccine which isn’t as effective as the vaccines most of the West has used.

I have read that they are now having to store bodies in refrigerated shipping containers in Hong Kong, as the city’s morgues have run out of space. They have also run out of coffins.

Sounds bloody awful.

Cases are taking off in China. Only half their over-80s have been double-vaccinated (with the less than stellar sino-vaccines), with perhaps another 10% single jabbed. I think China is going to struggle.