Virus flares in Wuhan as Delta variant challenges China's defences

[BEIJING]

CHINA is confronting its broadest Covid-19 outbreak since the Coronavirus first emerged there in late 2019, with the Delta variant spreading to places that had been virus-free for months, including the original epicentre of Wuhan.

Delta has broken through the country's virus defences, which are some of the strictest in the world, and reached nearly half of China's 32 provinces in just two weeks. While the overall number of infections - more than 300 so far - is still lower than Covid resurgences elsewhere, the wide spread indicates that the variant is moving quickly.

It is the biggest challenge to China's strategy since the virus was first detected in Wuhan, the central Chinese city that saw the world's first lethal outbreak. The country's strict anti-virus measures, which include mass testing as soon as a case appears, aggressive contact tracing, widespread use of quarantines and targeted lockdowns, have crushed more than 30 previous flareups over the past year.

The arrival of the more infectious Delta variant, however, is testing even that approach. The new strain may be exploiting an easing off in masking and social distancing in some places, since much of the country has been Covid-free for months. That, along with increased travel for summer vacation, created an environment where Delta could gain a foothold.

China reported 99 infections on Monday, including 44 who tested positive but have no symptoms. Later in the day, seven more people were found to be infected in Wuhan, plus another in Beijing. By number of cases, it is the biggest outbreak since a flareup in Hebei province in northern China in January, when 2,000 people were infected.

The broad spread is even more concerning, given the rise of cases in the highly protected capital and in Wuhan, whose virus-free status has been a source of pride in China. The seven new cases there are the first since China brought its original wave under control by locking down the city of some 11 million and the surrounding Hubei province.

The initial Delta infection arrived via an overseas flight from Moscow into the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing in mid-July, and spread on to a group of airport cleaning staff. Within weeks, cases have also popped up as far away as Hainan island in China's south, 1,900 km from Nanjing.

China's vaccination rate is close to 60 per cent and among the highest in the world, but it remains to be seen whether the country's locally-developed shots can slow Delta's spread. Most of those infected in Nanjing were immunised, and the vaccines - which have been found less effective than Messenger RNA shots in clinical trials - do appear to be providing protection, with only 4 per cent of those infected in this current wave battling severe disease so far.

Many of those have pre-existing conditions such as asthma, diabetes or high blood pressure, said an official with the National Health Commission, said at a briefing in Beijing on Saturday.

While all Covid vaccines are proving less effective against delta, concerns are high that non-mRNA vaccines like the Chinese ones and AstraZeneca Plc's shot will be less able to slow transmission.

BLOOMBERG