Latest news with #LiTongzeng
Epoch Times
26-05-2025
- Health
- Epoch Times
CDC Confirms New COVID Variant in US Amid Resurgence in China
A COVID-19 variant that has led to a resurgence in cases in China has been discovered in the United States, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed, but the agency indicated that fewer than 20 cases have been found so far. A spokesperson for the CDC told The Epoch Times on May 25 that the agency 'is aware of reported cases of COVID-19 NB.1.8.1 in China and is in regular contact with international partners.' Some cases of NB.1.8.1 have been found in the United States, the spokesperson said, adding that it's 'fewer than 20 sequences in the U.S. baseline surveillance data to date.' 'It has not met the threshold for inclusion in the COVID Data Tracker dashboard. We monitor all SARS-CoV-2 sequences, and if it increases in proportion, it will appear on the Data Tracker dashboard,' the spokesperson said. The NB.1.8.1 strain is a derivative of the XDV COVID-19 lineage, and sub-lineages have been circulating around the world for months, including in mainland China. Statistics published by the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday Related Stories 5/22/2025 5/21/2025 Dr. Li Tongzeng, the head of the Infectious Diseases Department at Beijing You'an Hospital, told Chinese state-run media that the resurgence of COVID-19 is expected to peak sometime later in May. Dr. Jonathan Liu, a professor at the Canadian College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and director of Kang Mei TCM Clinic, said that data published by Chinese health officials in March appear to be inaccurate or misleading, noting that only a few fatalities have been reported. 'With normal epidemic rates, such a low figure is implausible,' Liu told The Epoch Times this past week. 'Canada, with a sparse population and good sanitation, reported 1,915 COVID deaths from August last year to May this year—over 200 per month. 'How could China, with its dense population, have only seven deaths monthly?' This past week, the World Health Organization (WHO) The WHO also added that 'while there are reported increases in cases and hospitalizations' in reporting countries, 'there are no reports to suggest that the associated disease severity is higher as compared to other circulating variants.' The WHO document, dated May 29, did not specifically name any countries impacted by the strain. 'The available evidence on NB.1.8.1 does not suggest additional public health risks relative to the other currently circulating Omicron descendant lineages,' said the WHO, referring to the COVID-19 variant that emerged in late 2021. Currently approved vaccines are expected to be effective against the variant, the document said. 'Despite a concurrent increase in cases and hospitalizations in some countries where NB.1.8.1 is widespread,' WHO added, 'current data do not indicate that this variant leads to more severe illness than other variants in circulation.' Health officials in India have also responded to reports that the variant has led to a resurgence in China. In an interview with the PTI news agency, Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh said on May 26 that there is no need to panic. 'We have advised hospitals to be ready with beds, oxygen, essential medicines, and equipment, just in case. This is a part of standard preparedness,' he 'There is no need to worry. Covid caused by the new variant is similar to a normal viral illness. The patients who have come in so far are experiencing mild symptoms like fever, cough, and cold.' Mary Man contributed to this report.
Gulf Insider
26-05-2025
- Health
- Gulf Insider
China's COVID Resurgence: 'Razor Blade Throat' and New Omicron XDV Variant Symptoms
China is experiencing a resurgence of COVID-19, with patients reporting symptoms of severe, burning throat pain, experts say. Zhong Nanshan, one of China's leading pulmonologists and epidemiologists, said in an interview with China-based media on May 19 that the 'razor blade throat' symptom is more pronounced in this wave of resurgence, accompanied by more frequent coughing. 'Razor blade throat' is a term used in China to describe severe throat pain, akin to swallowing shattered glass or razor blades. Dr. Li Tongzeng, director of the Infectious Diseases Department at Beijing You'an Hospital, told Chinese media that the new wave of COVID-19, which began in March, is expected to peak in late May. According to Zhong, the dominant strain in this wave is the Omicron XDV variant, which is highly transmissible but relatively less virulent. Early symptoms include fever, headaches, fatigue, a burning throat, and severe coughing. He believes the epidemic is still in the 'climbing phase' and is expected to last six to eight weeks and subside by the end of June. Chinese netizens described their painful experiences with this new strain on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform closely monitored by the Chinese regime. Netizens shared comments such as: 'During lunch time a few days ago, a colleague was coughing so wildly I thought she choked on food. She said it was a lingering effect from this COVID wave. When I asked about her main symptom, she said 'razor blade throat.'' Other comments include, 'I've been hit with razor blade throat and feel completely drained.' 'Post-COVID razor blade throat is brutal—swollen, painful, and I can barely speak. Any quick remedies?' another one read. A female Beijing resident, infected for nearly 10 days, told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times: 'I had a fever, sore throat, yellow phlegm with blood streaks, nosebleeds, cough, sneezing, a runny nose, dizziness, and no energy. It's terrifying—I sneezed once and my nose started bleeding, which scared me to death. This round of COVID is too severe.' The Chinese regime has faced long-standing accusations of concealing epidemic data, particularly regarding death tolls. Although 'rising COVID-19 infections' trended on Weibo, Chinese media downplayed the epidemic, and experts noted significant missing or uninformative data from the authorities. Dr. Jonathan Liu, a professor at the Canadian College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and director of Kang Mei TCM Clinic and skeptic of data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC), said official data for March reported that seven people died from COVID-19 that month. 'With normal epidemic rates, such a low figure is implausible. Canada, with a sparse population and good sanitation, reported 1,915 COVID deaths from August last year to May this year—over 200 per month. How could China, with its dense population, have only seven deaths monthly?' Liu told The Epoch Times. According to the CCDC, outpatient and emergency cases increased from 7.5 percent to 16.2 percent, while severe hospitalized respiratory infection cases rose from 3.3 percent to 6.3 percent. Xiaoxu Sean Lin, an assistant professor in the Biomedical Science Department at Feitian College in New York and a contributor to The Epoch Times, said that the CCDC has failed to report the most important data. He told The Epoch Times that the data provided by the CCDC only reflects the increasing positive rate of the new coronavirus, omitting four critical factors: the number of confirmed cases, hospitalization rates, severe case rates, and mortality rates. These are essential for understanding the true extent of the outbreak. He said that the Chinese regime has in the past concealed too much information. COVID-19 cases have also risen in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. On May 8, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection reported that over the past four weeks, key COVID monitoring indicators reached a one-year high, with 31 adult deaths. Singapore's health authorities noted on May 13 that cases from April 27 to May 3 surged by about 28 percent to more than 14,000, with a 30 percent increase in daily hospitalizations. The Taiwan CDC reported that cases have risen significantly since May, with a peak expected in June. Zhong said that from a pathogenic perspective, the COVID-19 virus may reduce its virulence to ensure its survival, but it is too early to judge whether it will become 'flu-like' in the future. He said that one thing is certain, however: The COVID-19 virus will not disappear. Luo Ya, Xiaohua Gu, and Grace Song contributed to this report. Also Read: China Doesn't Have The Economic Strength To Save South Africa
Epoch Times
25-05-2025
- Health
- Epoch Times
WHO Deems New COVID Strain a ‘Variant Under Monitoring' Amid Resurgence in China
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that a new COVID-19 variant has been designated as a 'variant under monitoring' amid reports indicating a resurgence of the virus in mainland China. A 'Currently approved COVID-19 vaccines are expected to remain effective to this variant against symptomatic and severe disease,' the WHO said. 'Despite a concurrent increase in cases and hospitalizations in some countries where NB.1.8.1 is widespread, current data do not indicate that this variant leads to more severe illness than other variants in circulation.' The WHO WHO's May 23 update noted that NB.1.8.1 appears to be 'growing rapidly compared to co-circulating variants' and added that 'while there are reported increases in cases and hospitalizations' in reporting countries, 'there are no reports to suggest that the associated disease severity is higher as compared to other circulating variants.' The WHO document did not specifically name any countries that may be reporting the variant. 'The available evidence on NB.1.8.1 does not suggest additional public health risks relative to the other currently circulating Omicron descendent lineages,' said the WHO, referring to a previous COVID-19 variant that emerged in late 2021. Related Stories 5/22/2025 5/22/2025 The update comes as health experts In one example, Dr. Li Tongzeng, director of the Infectious Diseases Department at Beijing You'an Hospital, told Chinese state-run media that the resurgence of COVID-19, which began in March, is expected to peak sometime later in May. Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has faced long-standing accusations of concealing data around the virus, particularly regarding the death toll. The virus first emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. The Trump administration in April Dr. Jonathan Liu, a professor at the Canadian College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and director of Kang Mei TCM Clinic and skeptic of data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, noted that official data for March reported that only seven people died from COVID-19 during that month. 'With normal epidemic rates, such a low figure is implausible,' Liu told The Epoch Times last week. 'Canada, with a sparse population and good sanitation, reported 1,915 COVID deaths from August last year to May this year—over 200 per month. How could China, with its dense population, have only seven deaths monthly?' The Epoch Times has reached out to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for comment on the WHO report and reports that NB.1.8.1 is circulating in the United States. A spokesperson for the CDC told several news outlets on Saturday that 'there have been fewer than 20 sequences of NB.1.8.1 in the U.S. baseline surveillance data to date, so it has not met the threshold for inclusion in the COVID Data Tracker dashboard.' Mary Man contributed to this report.
