The long-awaited Omicron strain has begun spreading in China and has made its way to Beijing for the second time – and this time the outbreak is not being blamed on an isolated courier package as it was when it first appeared in January.
Several people who have tested positive in Beijing since Mar 7 have been found to be carrying the variant, according to Beijing’s CDC. As usual, the advice is the same: don't panic, especially since all signs point to omicron being more tame than previous strains.
In an interview with Beijing Daily, Dr. Li Dong, chief physician of respiratory and infection disease at Beijing You’an Hospital, said there are likely to be more clusters in the future, but patients will have milder symptoms. This follows the pattern omicron has shown in outbreaks in other parts of the world.
That doesn’t mean you should run around willy nilly without disregard, Li added, because getting it once is no guarantee you will be immune to getting it again.
With this in mind, just keep on following the set protocols – wear a mask, social distance, be vigilant in scanning health codes.
What's Happening Further Afield
It’s been awhile since we’ve talked about how other places around the country are doing in terms of cases. In short, not too great, as this chart from Shanghai's Shine.cn will show you:
Local symptomatic cases jumped by 1,807 on Mar 12, and another 1,337 yesterday. Most new local cases are coming from Jilin, with smaller but significant outbreaks also in Shandong, Guangdong, Shaanxi and Shanghai.
Neighboring Hebei (51 cases yesterday) and Tianjin (40 cases) are also not immune to the spread.
Shanghai has locked down tourist sites, sent schools online, and required testing for all folks entering and leaving the city.
While we in Beijing are grizzled veterans of outbreaks, lockdowns, homeschooling and endless throat swabs, expats in Shanghai are not nearly as used to the drastic measures we’ve learned to live with. In fact, Shanghai hasn’t had a significant outbreak since the very early days of the Covid crisis, and some are experiencing school closures and lockdowns for the first time.
We’re disinclined to pity those in Shanghai whose expat bubble is being pierced for the first time, though we do wish them well – as we wish well to the other provinces dealing with an outbreak. And yes that does go to show you that it’s best to heed the advice to refrain from all unnecessary travel outside of Beijing.
Omicron might not be as heavy-handed as the other variants, but it’s still best to stay put for now and keep the mantra – mask, social distancing, green health kit.
Getting Tested
What’s to be done if you get a red notice on your Health Kit? Simply go get a nucleic acid test and, if it comes back negative, you’ll be all green again and good to go.
If you’re thinking of using one of those home testing kits that were just approved for use in China, it'll probably take some time to reach Beijing. If you want to be one of the first in Beijing to get the kit, you can pre-order a batch of 20 for RMB 490 for delivery in early April – see the blog below to find out how.
READ: Here's How to Get Yourself a Covid Antigen Testing Kit
Images: The Beijingers, Global Times, Shine.cn