As the state has failed to do its job, people are helping themselves. But the government must act. In a country the size of China, even small steps could save many lives
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskMr Xi is not the first leader to conclude that such a fight was unwinnable. But before ditching their zero-covid policies, other countries first took pains to administer vaccines, stockpile antiviral drugs and draw up treatment guidelines. China had ample time to do all of that. Yet more than two years after the first vaccine proved effective, the country remains ill-prepared.
Although that is a lower share of the population than in many rich countries, it is still a criticism of the government’s poor preparations. It is also a call to action. A vaccination drive will take months. The government has waited too long to build and staff news. But even if the state will not impose lockdowns while it prepares, it can mitigate the number of deaths.sees this peaking in January. By that time hospitals risk being overwhelmed.
A second step is to ensure cheap and plentiful supplies of covid drugs. Dexamethasone, a low-priced steroid, has been shown to reduce deaths among the most severely ill patients. Antivirals, such as Paxlovid, help keep those most at risk out of hospital. These drugs have become part of the toolkit doctors around the world are using to fight the virus. They could save many thousands of lives in China. Only the government knows if it has enough of them to go around.
China’s vaccines still work. So the third priority is to get them into people’s arms. It may be too late for many in this wave, but there will be others. Less than half of those over 80 years old have had three shots, the number needed for decent protection against severe disease and death. Yet some of the elderly have gone to the clinic for a jab only to be turned away for lack of supplies. Until recently, some vaccine factories were sitting idle. Vast quantities will be needed.
As the state has failed to do its job, people are helping themselves. Masks are ubiquitous in many cities and more people are working from home. Restaurants and cinemas may be open, but in cities such as Beijing they remain largely empty. All this will help slow the growth of this covid wave and ease the pressure on hospitals. But the government must also act. In a country the size of China, even small steps could save many lives.
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