(AFP / HECTOR RETAMAL)
China has been the scene of an explosion in some cases since it lifted its “zero Covid” policy. According to several experts, this increase in cases in France could have economic and health consequences.
China has faced a spike in contamination and deaths since the lifting of the “zero Covid” policy. “At least
In China, 250 million people have been infected for three weeks
. Until recently, since the beginning of the pandemic, we were around 660 million worldwide,” explains virologist Christophe Bréchot on Monday 26 December on BFMTV.
At the moment, however, no effect is particularly noticeable in the rest of the world
Experts promise visible consequences soon
especially in France.
“A pandemic is a global, global problem. We cannot argue in Franco-French.
What happens in China is bound to impact global health in one way or another.
“, says the virologist.
After the risk of the appearance of a new variant comes an economic risk. The peak of contamination could shut down many factories, disrupting multiple productions and exports.
A worsening drug shortage?
The lack of medicines could be one of the consequences of this explosion of Covid cases that has already been caused
the closure of many companies in China
. “A large part of the active ingredients in medicines comes from China, so this will logically affect our supplies,” warns Christophe Bréchot.
The scenario had already been considered by Rémi Salomon two days earlier. The President of the CHU PCME Conference reminded of this on his Twitter profile
80% of the active ingredients – which make up the raw material of the medicines – are manufactured in China and India
.
“The Covid wave currently sweeping China is likely to do so
exacerbate our supply difficulties
in many medicines,” he wrote, insisting on the need to shift medicinal production.