Chinese Infectious Disease Expert: "COVID-19 Resurgence Expected to End by Late June"

Interview with Zhong Nanshan, China's Leading Authority on Infectious Diseases
"Novel COVID-19 Is Preventable... No Need to Panic"

An expert in infectious diseases in China has stated that the recent resurgence of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease) "is expected to end by the end of June."

On May 20, Chinese media outlets such as China Net reported on an interview conducted the previous day in Guangzhou with Zhong Nanshan, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, who is regarded as the top authority in the field of infectious diseases in China.

Zhong Nanshan, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. EPA Yonhap News

Zhong stated, "This novel coronavirus is generally preventable. There is no need to panic." However, he advised that elderly individuals over the age of 65 with underlying health conditions should be particularly cautious.

According to statistics from Hong Kong, Singapore, France, Brazil, and the United Kingdom, the number of infections is still on the rise. Zhong predicted that the impact of COVID-19 would continue for about 6 to 8 more weeks and would end before the end of June. In the case of Hong Kong, he explained that more than 83% of the fatalities were among people aged 65 and older, and over 90% of these individuals had underlying health conditions.

According to monitoring data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the COVID-19 positivity rate among nationwide outpatient influenza-like illness cases in China more than doubled from 7.5% to 16.2% between March 31 and May 4. The rate of hospitalized patients also increased from 3.3% to 6.3%.

Zhong stated that the symptoms of this novel COVID-19 strain are similar to those of previous COVID-19 strains. The initial symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and sore throat, but the severity of sore throat and coughing is greater. He recommended, "You must wear a mask in crowded places or where the air is not well ventilated," and advised that "if you have symptoms of COVID-19, it is best to take prescribed medication as soon as possible." He also emphasized that, since clinical trials of medication for children aged five have not yet been conducted, special care should be taken to prevent infection in this age group, and if infected, only safe medications should be administered.