Medical workers work in a COVID-19 testing lab in east China's Shanghai, April 15, 2022. Photo:Xinhua

 
China's latest official data has indicated that the COVID-19 positivity rate went up slightly in early April, but respiratory specialists noted on Friday that it's "unlikely" China will see another wave of large-scale COVID-19 infections across the country.

Since December 9, 2022, the number and positivity rate of COVID-19 nucleic acid tests across the country have showed an initial rising trend and followed by a sharp decline. The number of positive cases reached a peak of 6.94 million on December 22, 2022 and then decreased to 2,119 on April 6, 2023, according to the latest report released by Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) in early April.

The positivity rate of COVID-19 reached a peak of 29.2 percent on December 25, 2022 and then reduced to 1.4 percent on April 6, 2023. However, the data has continued to fluctuate over the recent four months, and stood at 0.7 percent on March 30 and 1.5 percent on February 6 this year, according to China CDC.

Lu Hongzhou, head of the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, told the Global Times on Friday that another large-scale COVID-19 epidemic is unlikely to occur in China for a long term. An immune barrier has been built up as the antibodies within the population remain at a relatively high level because most of the Chinese have been infected with COVID-19 about four months ago, Lu explained. 

But for those key groups including the elderly and people with weak immune systems, they face the risk of being infected, Lu said, noting that individuals should still seek the COVID-19 vaccination to reduce critical infection and death.

The number of visits to fever clinics reached a peak of 2.86 million on December 23, 2022, and then decreased continuously, while the data has dropped to 384,000 visits on April 6, 2023, down 86.6 percent compared with the peak number, said China CDC.

Wen Daxiang, director of the Shanghai Health Commission also said during an interview program on Thursday that the COVID-19 infections have been detected sporadically in Shanghai, and the situation remains generally stable, but the risk of another wave of outbreak still can't be ruled out and the city will continue to monitor the epidemic situation closely.

Wen also suggested residents receive the COVID-19 vaccine to raise their immunity, particularly for elderly residents who are 60 years old or above.

From September 26, 2022 to April 6, 2022, the valid genome sequences of 38,655 local COVID-19 cases were reported in the country, all of which were Omicron variant, with the most prevalent strains being BA.5.2.48, BF. 7.14, BA.5.2.49 and DY.1, said China CDC.

Global Times