During the past three years of Covid control, China has been putting antipyretic and other drugs under strict regulation. As a result, some pharmaceutical companies have gone bankrupt. With the sudden relaxation of control, many companies that did not receive prior notice are facing pressure to scale up production immediately as they do not have an adequate supply.

The “four types of drugs” in China generally refer to antipyretic, anti-cough, antibiotic and anti-viral drugs. Among them, China is the largest producer and exporter of Ibuprofen, the antipyretic and analgesic drug. It accounts for 1/3 of the world’s production.

A social media account that collects articles from around 100 hospital management experts and medical observers posted, “The four types of drugs were strictly controlled in the early stage, but no one told the drug companies to increase production before the relaxation.” The article says that there are more than 500 ibuprofen manufacturers in China, and there is no shortage of raw materials. Even if there were only 200 manufacturers, “if they had been told a month in advance (to increase production and stock), there would be one box for every Chinese.

The City government of Zhuhai in Guangdong province announced that, since December 20, ibuprofen and other drugs have had to be sold in unpacked boxes, with a price cap and real name registration.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), December 20, 2022
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202212200385.aspx

A sharp U-turn in China’s Covid-19 prevention policy also translates into theatrical changes in the job market. In the past, people who had been tested positive for Covid-19 had difficulties landing a job; they are now given priority when looking for positions.

Due to the suddenly loosened Covid-19 measures, the number of people who are infected with the disease has risen sharply. Some people believe that being infected with the disease is the equivalent of gaining immunity. “It is better to be infected first,” so that they can avoid facing the uncertainty of being infected all the time.

The Wechat account of Legal Daily, a major state newspaper, posted in an article on December 20 that some recent job openings claim that “priority is given to those who have tested positive for Covid-19.” Some even explicitly say, “not interested in those who have tested negative for Covid-19.” A lawyer in Beijing said that this may be employment discrimination and is illegal.

Before the dramatic change in the Covid-19 policy, there was no lack of job market discrimination against those who were Covid positive. Back in October, a large number of Foxconn workers in Zhengzhou, Henan province, left the factory on foot because, among other things, they were afraid that even if they recovered from the epidemic, they would have difficulty finding a job.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), December 22, 2022
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202212200277.aspx

How serious is the current epidemic in China? It is hard to determine the truth. Take Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang province, for example. Local hospitals have recently seen an exponential increase in Covid-19 fever patients. As many as 90 percent have tested positive. However, the Zhejiang Provincial Health Commission said on December 17 that only 43 cases were confirmed in Hangzhou.

The Qianjiang Evening News, a popular metropolitan newspaper in Hangzhou, reported that the fever clinic at one campus of Zhejiang Hospital saw more than 600 patients on December 16.

In addition, fever clinics at hospitals affiliated with the Zhejiang University School of Medicine reported a single-day attendance of more than 1,000 people.

The newspaper quoted doctors from several hospitals in Hangzhou who said that 90 percent of the patients in local fever clinics had tested positive.

Hangzhou has a residential population of more than 12 million. The Zhejiang Provincial Health Commission reported on Saturday December 17 that the province’s medical institutions reported only 52 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, of which Hangzhou accounted for 43 cases.

Source: Radio Free Asia, December 17, 2022
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/Xinwen/4-12172022120644.html