COVID-19 Epidemic Wave Ends, No Significant Rebound Detected During Holiday

The current COVID-19 epidemic wave in China has ended, and the virus did not rebound significantly during the Spring Festival holiday, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said recently.

Furthermore, no new virus mutations were identified during the recent epidemic, the Chinese CDC said in a report dated on Jan 25.

The report compiled national surveillance data on the disease from Dec 9 to Jan 23. It was published on the Chinese CDC Weekly website, the national public health bulletin and an academic platform established by the CDC.

China scrapped mass testing on Dec 8 and downgraded its management of the disease from Class A to Class B on Jan 8.

According to the report, the current epidemic wave peaked in late December and then declined continuously. The number of severe cases and deaths at hospitals has also been trending downward.

“By late January, the overall epidemic had waned, easing the strain on the nation’s medical systems,” it said.

The dominant strains that drove the wave were BF.7 and BA.5.2. No new viral mutation has been detected, the report said.