After three years of strict COVID lockdown, many Chinese have had enough. Protests have erupted in cities across the country: Beijing, Hong Kong, Jinan, Kunming, Shanghai—the list goes on. Now some mayors—who national leaders have authorized to set local rules on crowds, business capacity, travel, mask-wearing and testing—are easing up on some COVID-related restrictions.
While many Chinese might welcome a return to something more closely resembling normal, experts warn there could be a cost. China’s so-called COVID Zero approach to the pandemic has probably saved millions of lives. Just 16,000 Chinese have died of COVID since 2019, an infinitesimal death rate in a country of 1.4 billion. But COVID Zero has also created the conditions for a temporary—but potentially devastating—surge in infections once restrictions end.
That’s because, after three years of frequent and strict lockdowns, China’s population doesn’t have a lot of natural antibodies from past infection. These are the best antibodies, and without them, the novel coronavirus might encounter precious little resistance if 1.4 billion Chinese start packing restaurants, entertainment venues, buses and trains.
Source: China’s COVID Plan Is Threatening Disaster Once Again
