On the streets to get supplies coronavirus test and medicines for fever and cold come out the Chinese, as the recent relaxation of prevention measures sparked concerns among citizens that they may now contract the virus.
Online drug platforms, pharmacies and producers medicines are reporting an increase in sales in recent days, with JD Health stating that sales of antigen tests jumped 344% in the week from November 28 to December 4 compared to a week earlier.
“Everyone around me buys antigen tests so I bought 50 toosaid Huang Yuqi, 40, a Beijing resident who works at a leisure company. “Now the country is entering a new phase in terms of pandemic politics and I am not sure what will come next. We can just try to protect ourselves, so I also buy N95 masks, Tylenol and Ibuprofen.”
A store clerk at a pharmacy in central Beijing told Reuters that he had sold out of his antipyretics on Monday. “I have never seen so many customers come to buy antipyretics in one day,” he said. “We are trying to restock the shelves but it may take a week.”
Yesterday, Monday (12/5), Beijing’s market regulator issued a warning against mass procurement and price gouging for epidemic prevention products such as antivirals, masks and disinfectants.
China’s strict adherence to the policy of zero COVID for the past three years it has kept citizens largely protected from the waves of infection that have swept the rest of the world.
Based on international standards, the China recorded far fewer cases and deaths but the economy paid a price for strict travel restrictions.
Restrictions have been eased
Authorities have finally begun to ease some of the strictest restrictions after public frustration boiled over last month into a wave of protests.
While many appear relieved that some measures have been eased, there are many others who now feel more vulnerable to being stuck.
There is also some wariness about the shift in tone from officials who have previously emphasized the dangers of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
China has also in the past three years imposed rules such as asking citizens to give their names when buying fever and cold medicine in order to trace possible infections. However, the authorities of some cities began to relax such restrictions.
People, worried about the possibility of contracting COVID as preventive measures are tightened, are also buying a Chinese traditional medicine formulation, Lianhua Qingwen, produced by Yiling Pharmaceutical, which has been widely promoted in China as a treatment for COVID- 19.
Pharmaceutical company Buchang Pharma told local network Cailianshe that its factory producing Chinese medicines for lung disease is running 24 hours a day due to “huge demand”.
The trend of mass procurement and stockpiling of COVID preparations has drawn critical comments in state media. “There is no scientific basis for irrationally buying and stockpiling certain drugs,” the Economic Daily reported today.
Source: News Beast
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
