In China, "In-hospital COVID Deaths Decrease by 90% Compared to Peak"

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyunjung] The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the number of people who died in hospitals after being infected with COVID-19 has decreased by about 90% compared to the peak.

According to the "National COVID-19 Infection Situation" report posted on the center's website on the 1st, the number of COVID-19 infection deaths occurring in hospitals nationwide peaked at 4,273 on January 4 and has steadily decreased, recording 434 on the 30th of the same month. This represents an 89.8% decrease compared to the peak.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Additionally, the positive rate of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which reached a peak of 29.2% on December 25 last year, dropped to 2.5% on the 30th of last month. The number of people who received treatment at fever clinics in mainland China on the 30th was 164,000, a 94.3% decrease compared to the peak. As of the same day, the number of hospitalized patients (144,000) decreased by 91.1%, and severe patients (14,000) decreased by 89.3%, the center reported.

Regarding new variant viruses, none have been found. According to COVID-19 variant monitoring results since December last year, the dominant COVID-19 strains in China were Omicron lineages BA.5.2.48 (61.1%) and BF.7.14 (27.8%).