How did the outbreak start?
In early December in 2019, the first cases were identified from patients with severe pneumonia in the hospitals in Wuhan - the capital city of Huber province. The Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan has been widely considered as the starting point of the outbreak. According to the analysis of The Lancet, around half of 99 surveyed patients had a history of exposure to the market. Similar to SARS and MERS, the novel coronavirus appears to have originated in bats. Coronaviruses that originate in animals are typically not transmissible to humans, however it can happen. It is still not clear how the virus jumped from animals to humans.How has the Chinese government responded?
To combat the virus, the Chinese government announced a series of measures in late January 2020, including the cancellation of all Chinese New Year celebrations and a strict nationwide lockdown. On February 3, 2020, the 25,000-square-meter Huoshenshan Hospital was built swiftly with a capacity of 1,000 beds to expand the hospital capacity in the epicenter.On March 11, the World Health Organization officially declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic. A week later, the Chinese government reported no new domestic transmissions for the first time. On March 31, the National Health Commission (NHC) announced that it would begin reporting the infection number of symptom-free individuals who tested positive for coronavirus. After no new deaths reported for first time, China lifted the ten-week lockdown on Wuhan on April 8. Daily life was returning slowly back to normal in the country. There were some small outbreaks in Beijing in June, Xinjiang in July, and some northeastern provinces since the end of 2020. With a swift launch of tracing, testing, and community lockdown strategies, most outbreaks were quickly under control. However, the strict lockdown measures in some cities have led to a rare public outcry over food shortages among residents.
When it comes to vaccination, China is one of the earliest countries which have rolled out a national immunization program. The Chinese government and private institutions have also invested heavily - about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars - in developing vaccines, therapy, and tests. As of September 2020, 11 COVID-19 vaccines developed by domestic drugmakers have begun clinical trials. As of mid-April 2021, China had approved four such vaccines for public use and a fifth for smaller-scale emergency use. Official media announced that China's locally developed mRNA vaccine, ARCoV, might start Phase III clinical trial around early May. China had also exported its homegrown vaccines to 28 countries and donated the shots to 69 countries.
What are the economic impacts?
The rapid spread of the disease has impacted global business and tourism. International companies, such as Apple, Tesla, and IKEA, shut down their operations in the country during the early local outbreak. With more travel restrictions imposed inside and outside of China, numerous bookings of flights, hotels, and tours have been canceled. Although the majority of companies had been back to normal operation, consumer spending remained weak. The pandemic impact on China’s trade and various industries across the world have been unprecedented, resulting in a plunge in China's GDP growth rate in 2020 - the lowest point over the last decade.For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page and our Trend Whitepaper.
