The Coronavirus has been a real tragedy since its advent in 2019. For almost two years, the world suffered from this deadly disease, but only in the latter half of 2022 did the world begin to move back to a sense of normal life. However, this has not been the case for China. The country has been constantly dealing with the pandemic since its inception. Recent studies paint a stark picture of the COVID-19 crisis in China. As of 12 January, over 900 million people have been infected with the coronavirus, roughly a third of the country’s population.
This is an alarming figure and has caused shockwaves both domestically and internationally. With restrictions on travel having been lowered, many Chinese for the first time in two years has taken the opportunity to head back to their homes with the upcoming Chinese lunar new year being celebrated. It’s expected that billions will travel to be with their families for the event and, unfortunately, it’s inevitable that in the coming days, the virus will hit poorly resourced and rural areas of China, where the population may not be as well informed or quick to act as in the more populous cities.
The coronavirus has had an impact on all of us in one way or another, but the news coming out of China serves as a reminder of just how extensive it has been. It’s not just the big cities that have been affected; the infection spreads like wildfire and has been highlighting the vulnerability of more rural areas to this devastating pandemic.
