China See Spike In COVID-19 Cases, Should India Worry?
China has imposed a hard lockdown in half of Shanghai. What is the reason behind the surge in the number of cases? Has the country’s strategy failed? Should India also get worried about it?
In the recent attempt to gain full control over COVID-19, the country has seen a complete lockdown in its major city, Shanghai, its financial capital and global hub for international finance and trade. Shutting down the entire country at one go indicates that there is something serious.
But the decision was made when the number of new infections reached 6,000 in 24-hours, which is significantly higher than the 326 cases discovered just a week ago. The city reported 2,678 cases on Sunday, 3,500 on Monday, and 4,477 on Tuesday.
But the number of cases in entire China, not just in Shanghai, is very low compared to the U.S. or many countries in Europe.
What is the Reason Behind the Rising Number of Cases?
The rise in cases is seriously undermining China’s zero-Covid policy, and it is expected to go the Hong Kong way.
China’s strategy to halt the spread of the infection is not effective. Right now, the number of cases China is reporting since the beginning of the pandemic is 1.5 lakh.
Does this Situation Pose Any Risk to India?
The number of cases has been a steady decline in India after the third wave. On Wednesday, only 1,233 cases were reported across the country. There is no fresh surge of COVID-19 cases in India, and it seems that risks are very low.
Overall, the situation in India is way better than in China in terms of COVID-19 cases. On the other hand, the overwhelming proportion of the population has been already infected in the second wave. The omicron variant is also estimated to have infected 30-40% of the population, and the repeat number of cases is known to be rare.
Moreover, India has also strengthened its healthcare department and vaccinated more than half the population, which plays a crucial role in controlling the infection.
Still, the situation can change anytime if a new, dangerous variant emerges.