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This is what it looks like in the hospitals in Shanghai at the moment.
Pictures published by the Hong Kong newspaper »South China Morning Post«.
The recordings show the current situation in the emergency rooms of two different hospitals.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, China had kept the virus in check with drastic measures and particularly tough lockdowns.
After nationwide demonstrations and the sudden abolition of the strict corona measures around a month ago, the number of infections is now skyrocketing – and with it the cases that require medical treatment.
It's mostly older people.
Relatives in the hospital corridor:
"He's foaming at the mouth and there's no one here to treat him!"
Nurse:
"We'll find you a doctor."
These pictures from January 2 show the lobby of a hospital in Shanghai.
Clinic staff report shortages of medication, both antivirals like Paxlovid and common painkillers like ibuprofen.
The official figures that China provides for the pandemic: allegedly on Thursday 9548 new corona cases and five deaths across the country.
It's hard to imagine from these pictures.
Many experts consider the official figures from the government to be meaningless, according to the WHO there is extreme underreporting.
Benjamin Cowling, Epidemiologist University of Hong Kong
“It is quite possible that there will be a million or more deaths from Covid in China this winter.
And that number could have been much higher if China had opened two years ago and not gone 'zero Covid' before vaccines were available.
Then there would have been many more deaths from Covid in China.
But at the same time, that number, a million or more, could be much lower if there had been better preparation and possibly better timing for the transition away from 'zero Covid'.”
To put this into context: one million deaths in China, which would correspond to around 60,000 deaths in Germany, calculated down to the total population.
But in China, with its more than 1.4 billion inhabitants, the consequences of the corona policy are also multiplying.
And many, especially older people, are still not vaccinated or not sufficiently vaccinated.
The situation is currently dramatic, especially in the megacities.
As here in Beijing, there are long queues in front of the crematoria in many places.
That is likely to change soon.
Benjamin Cowling, Epidemiologist University of Hong Kong
“I am particularly concerned about the rural areas.
So far there may be some areas in the country where there have not been any Covid outbreaks but with travel coming up at the end of January there will be travel to all parts of the country the virus will make its way to all parts of the country Find.
And in the rural areas the health system is not so stable, the virus could have more impact there.
But in some big cities, the peak of hospital admissions, the peak of severe cases, will hopefully be over soon.”
The government's actions are also met with criticism from the general public.
25-year-old in Shanghai:
»Unfortunately, although I stayed at home, I got infected.
Everything has gotten worse.
When I go out on the street, I have the feeling that fewer people are going out than before.«
70-year-old in Shanghai:
»I think they should have taken a number of measures before opening, e.g.
B. Advice on what precautions people of a certain age should be taking, what young people should be doing… And they should have allowed people to stock up on medicines or distribute them, and at least make sure the pharmacies are well stocked .
If all this had been guaranteed, it would have been time to open.«
With the uncontrolled increase in the number of infections in China, concerns about possible new virus variants are also increasing worldwide.
So far, no questionable mutations have been found.
Many countries have nevertheless introduced a test requirement for travelers from China - now Germany too.