From COVID to MPOX: China Battles a New Crisis as Cases Surge
Even though cases of mpox continue to decline in the United States and Europe, the number of infections in China is consistently increasing.
117 cases were confirmed in China during the week ending July 21, based on data from the World Health Organization. 315 cases were reported among the time period ending May 5 and the week ending July 21.
According to WHO data, only six cases have been verified throughout the entirety of 2022.
Furthermore, China possessed the greatest spike in weekly cases throughout the most recent week of comprehensive reporting, and cases have increased by more than 50 percent over the past three weeks, according to the global health agency.
In the spring of 2022, the mpox epidemic began in the United Kingdom before expanding to the rest of Europe and the United States. At this time, China was still enforcing COVID restrictions, restricting travel in and out of the country.
The outbreak mainly occurred among homosexual, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated that anybody is susceptible to the virus, regardless of sexual orientation.
After appearing poised to overwhelm the United States, the contagion experienced a dramatic decline. The combination of individuals altering their behaviors and a robust vaccination campaign, according to experts in public health, helped to eradicate the disease.
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Mpox Cases in China Spike
In spite of the fact that the WHO declared the mpox public health emergency to be over in May 2023, the number of cases in Asia, which includes Japan, Thailand, and most recently China, has continued to rise.
However, case reporting in Beijing has not been consistent. In June, the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a single report detailing 106 cases.
Similar to the inconsistent reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic, no data on any other monthly cases has been disclosed.
Only on July 26 did the Chinese CDC post an initiative to prevent and control the spread, which mentioned a public education program however not a vaccine campaign.
Source: ABCNEWS
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