For China, it's the ordinary people who pose the greatest risk

The Chinese Communist Party leadership recently abandoned its “zero-COVID” policy.

As last spring’s lockdown of Shanghai demonstrated, China’s war against the virus had three main components: comprehensive testing, isolating COVID-19 patients and blockading outbreak sites (lockdowns). In the end, this three-pronged approach proved to be no match for the omicron variant. China has lost its battle to achieve and maintain its zero-COVID status.

Since China reversed its COVID-19 policy, the number of reported infections has plummeted. This is due to a dramatic decline in polymerase chain reaction testing. Decreased testing, however, makes it harder to identify and trace positive cases — and thus grasp the actual situation. Consequently, infections spread, intensive care units overflow and the medical care system breaks down.