Photo: VCG

Since December 9, 2022, the number and positive rate of nucleic acid testing in the population reported by all provinces showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing. The number of in-hospital deaths from COVID-19 hit a daily peak of 4,273 on January 4, but it has declined since then, falling to 102 on Monday, a 97.6 percent drop from the peak, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese CDC) announced on Wednesday.

It was the third release of specific COVID-19 figures by the department since the country optimized COVID-19 response measures and downgraded its management.

According to the report from the Chinese CDC, the number of positive cases peaked at 6.94 million on December 22, and then fluctuated and dropped to the lowest level on Monday, with 900 positive cases.

Each province reported a trend of fluctuating decreases in antigen detection, from a peak of 1.89 million on December 19, 2022, to 85,000 on February 4, 2023, before rebounding to 190,000 on Monday.

In terms of patients visiting fever clinics in township health centers nationwide, the number peaked at 922,000 on December 23, 2022, and then fluctuated downward. On Monday, there were 58,000 visitors recorded in township health centers, down 93.7 percent from the peak.

From September to early December 2022, the weekly number of influenza-like cases (temperature over 38 C, accompanied by cough or sore throat) in influenza-sentinel hospitals across the country remained stable at about 100,000 and reached a maximum of 600,000 from December 19 to December 25. In February it fell back to the level before the latest round of the pandemic.

Since the 49th week of 2022, the positive rate of the influenza virus gradually decreased to an extremely low level in late December 2022. The report showed that the positive rate of influenza virus remains below 1.0 percent.

The number of severely ill patients in hospitals increased by nearly 10,000 a day from December 27, 2022, to January 3, and it fell to 2,000 on Monday, down 98.1 percent from its peak.

From September 26, 2022, to Monday, a total of 23,217 effective genome sequences of novel coronavirus were reported in China, all of which were Omicron variants with 76 evolutionary branches.

Based on the national special survey of the elderly, by the end of 2022, 96.1 percent of those over 60 years old were covered by the first dose of vaccination, the CDC reported.