Ben Cowling, an epidemiologist in Hong Kong, said, “Based on reports of overcrowded hospitals and long queues outside funeral homes, we can estimate a much larger number of COVID deaths by now, perhaps 60,000 rather than over 600,000.” university.
China’s chaotic exit from a regime of mass lockdowns, travel restrictions and frequent COVID testing has also prompted a run on drugs as people barricade themselves against the disease.
To meet rising demand, major drugmakers in China are launching operations to triple their capacity to make fever and cough medicine, the official China Daily reported on Thursday.
China has relied on domestic vaccines to combat the pandemic, avoiding foreign vaccines, which some studies have suggested are more effective, while other foreign treatments for COVID-19 are hard to come by in China.
Pfizer’s PFE.N COVID-19 anti-viral drug Paxlovid is available in China but very difficult to obtain through official channels, according to media reports and personal accounts. Merck & Co’s MRK.N antiviral treatment molnupiravir has also been approved for use but is not yet widely available.
In a meeting this week, China’s National Medical Products Administration pledged to stabilize the prices of COVID-related drugs and crack down on counterfeit sales.