One of China's top health experts has warned of a surge in COVID-19 cases, state media said Sunday, in the wake of the government's decision to abandon its hardline coronavirus strategy.
Top epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan told state media in an interview published Sunday that the Omicron variant of the virus prevalent in China was highly transmissible and could lead to a surge in cases.
The easing of China's so-called "zero-COVID" policy followed nationwide protests against harsh virus rules that had battered the economy and confined millions to their homes. She said 106,000 doctors and 177,700 nurses will be redirected to intensive care units to cope with the spike in coronavirus patients, but did not offer details on how this would affect the health system's ability to treat other diseases.Long lines sprang up outside pharmacies in Beijing on Sunday as residents rushed to stockpile cold and fever medicines and antigen test kits.
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