COVID-19 is about to explode in China. What that could mean for the United States.
COVID-19 cases are expected to increase significantly in China in the coming weeks as the country lifts its zero-COVID policy
China is particularly vulnerable due to a lack of vaccination and natural immunity among its population, especially older adults who are at higher risk of severe disease
1Experts predict hundreds of millions of infections and potentially up to 2 million deaths in China.
A large outbreak in China could have negative impacts on COVID-19 control in the US, including the possibility of new variants emerging and sick travelers arriving in the country
One model projects 100 million symptomatic cases, 5 million hospital admissions, and up to 1.6 million deaths in China from COVID-19 alone
The health care system in China may be overwhelmed, with shortages of intensive care units and blood donations
China's vulnerability to COVID-19 is due to a lack of natural immunity, reduced effectiveness of vaccines, reduced public trust in vaccines due to previous scandals, and misconceptions about vaccine safety