Six fallacies and truths about China's epidemic control

Businesses remain optimistic about the Chinese market. Axel Weber, chairman of the Institute of International Finance, said the Chinese economy remains a massive opportunity for Western companies.

The capacity of Foxconn's plant in Zhengzhou, Henan Province has returned to its peak season levels with about 200,000 workers, shaking off the impact of the epidemic.

"Now, all the production lines of Foxconn's plant in Zhengzhou are running normally, and we have taken various measures to motivate our employees," said Wang Xue, deputy general manager of Foxconn Technology Group.

The optimized response China adopted to deal with COVID-19 is expected to have a "J-curve effect" on the economy, said Han Wenxiu, executive deputy director of the office of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs. "It may cause disruptions to the economy in the short-term, but from the perspective of a whole year outlook, it is a boon."

FALLACY 4: "PATIENTS GOING SHORT OF MEDICINE AND TREATMENT"

The truth is: Chinese medical institutions at all levels are taking all the necessary measures to increase resources and personnel. The reality is that they are busy but functioning smoothly.

The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, has received over 140 critically ill COVID-19 patients in recent days.

"Many doctors continued working and caring for patients while they themselves were ill, and we are going all out to save every severe patient," said Yu Kaijiang, president of the hospital.

The hospital has increased the number of intensive care beds from 132 to 143, and has actively sought ventilators from various channels, with a group of 60 nurses working shifts to cope with the surge in COVID-19 patients.

As of Dec. 25, 2022, the number of fever clinics in second-grade hospitals and above had reached 16,000 in China, and the number of such clinics in grassroots medical institutions totaled 41,000.

China is one of the largest producers of fever medicines, and its total production capacity is sufficient to meet demand.

The daily output of ibuprofen and acetaminophen, two key antipyretic analgesics, had reached 202 million tablets and 190 million tablets, respectively, by the end of 2022, said Wang Jiangping, vice minister of industry and information technology.