China is now the epicentre of Covid. The world should be watching – and testing | Devi Sridhar
GuardianJan 03, 2023
According to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a new omicron subvariant has taken hold in the US. The so-called "XBB.1.5" has raised concerns about a new wave of COVID cases following the holiday season.
The CDC estimates that XBB.1.5 rose from 4% to 41% of new infections in the US in December and now accounts for 75% of new cases in the northeast region of the country.
When surveying emerging COVID threats, China's surging infection rates are at the epicenter of the greatest risk. There’s no need to panic, but testing at least a random sampling of passengers on flights originating in China is prudent. This will help to keep track of new variants and keep US mitigation measures reasonable.
It’s important to remain concerned about rising COVID cases in China, but the XBB.1.5 variant is a "homegrown" and immediate threat in the US. It’s ironic that while many are focusing on China, the worst variant the world is facing right now came from the US. Now is a time for taking serious public health action rather than blaming other nations.