China is bracing for a surge in COVID-19 cases as the Omicron variant, known as XBB, spreads rapidly throughout the country.
According to senior health adviser Zhong Nanshan, infections could reach 40 million per week by the end of this month and peak at around 65 million cases weekly by the end of June. The wave of infections is expected to become the second largest in the country, although it will likely be smaller than the initial wave experienced last year.
Zhong Nanshan, China’s top respiratory disease expert, recently discussed the projected COVID-19 wave at the 2023 Greater Bay Area Science Forum. He revealed that two new vaccines targeting the XBB variant will soon be released in the market. Zhong emphasized the significance of developing effective vaccines against XBB, as it has become the dominant strain in China.
China has already approved two vaccines for the current XBB variant, with more approvals expected