China wants Covid patients to go to work even as hospitals fill up

China is experiencing a fresh Covid-19 outbreak that has left hospitals overwhelmed, but millions are being told to work even if infected.

Moneycontrol News

December 22, 2022 / 09:11 IST

People line up to get tested for Covid-19 in China

A surge in Covid-19 infections has overwhelmed hospitals in China, but millions are being told to return to work even if they are infected.

China is battling a fresh wave of Covid infections after the government lifted a host of restrictions and isolation protocols that had largely protected the population from the worst of the pandemic for nearly three years. The easing of China’s ‘Zero-Covid’ policy came after rare protests broke out in November, with people blaming the government’s strict containment measures for deaths after a fire in the country’s Xinjiang region.

China’s U-turn on Covid-19 and its relaxation of rules coincided with a surge in infections that has now left hospitals overwhelmed and public spaces deserted. But in spite of this, people are being advised to continue working even if they are infected.

Asymptomatic patients, or those with mild symptoms, can “go to work normally after taking protective measures as necessary for their health status and job requirements,” said the Chongqing and Wuhu authorities in similar statements reported by CNN.

Zhejiang officials reiterated this advice in a press conference on Sunday, where one official suggested following a rotation schedule “to ensure uninterrupted work and maintain order when outbreaks are severe.”

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

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