PCR tests. China is facing a mountain of medical waste

Every day in China, full-fledged officers inject hundreds of millions of disposable swabs into the throat for large-scale PCR testing. Problem. These actions generate a huge amount of medical waste. The Asian giant with its zero Covid strategy is the last large economy that wants to prevent any infection at all costs to formally avoid the pressure of its hospitals in the face of low vaccination rates for the elderly.

In its anti-coronavirus arsenal, mandatory quarantines, localized imprisonment, and, consequently, mass inspections, which in certain places have become almost daily. From Beijing to Shanghai, Shenzhen, “Chinese Silicon ValleyThe home of many technology companies, cities are now filled with small preparations or tents that offer free PCR testing.

Hundreds of millions of people are required to take a test every three or two days, or even every day. These PCR tests, which create a huge amount of medical waste, are a growing economic burden for the already heavily indebted local authorities, who have to spend tens of billions of euros on it.

«The amount of medical waste generated on a daily basis is almost unprecedented in human history.Said Yifey Lee, an environmental expert at New York University in Shanghai. «The problems are already huge, they will continue to escalate“He told AFP. China, where the environment has been hit hard by economic growth, has tightened its air and water pollution legislation over the past decade.

Multiplied by six

The country is striving for carbon neutrality by 2060, which is an ambitious, highly uncertain goal, given the Asian giant’s current dependence on coal. The generalization of PCR tests poses a new environmental challenge. Hundreds of millions of people will need to be examined for dozens of positive cases found every day in China, using a huge array of tubes, swabs, packaging, combinations. If not properly disposed of, this medical waste can contaminate soil: waterways.

According to AFP, the cities and provinces of China, home to a total of 600 million people, have announced a general “regular inspection” of their population. No national figures were available, but Shanghai authorities said last month that 68,500 tonnes of medical waste had been generated during the blockade between mid-March and early June. This is six times the daily amount.

According to Chinese regulations, the authorities are responsible for sorting, disinfecting, transporting and storing such waste before disposing of it, usually by incineration. «But I’m not sure that (…) rural areas are really able to withstand a significant increase in medical wasteYang Zhong Huang, a public health specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations, told AFP.

Tests”inefficient և expensive»

Some local authorities may not know how to handle this large amount of waste, or just keep it in landfills, says Benjamin Stewer of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Asked by AFP, the Ministry of Health stated that it hadSpecial requirements for medical waste managementIn connection with Covid-19.

The government requires provincial capitals to set up test sites within a 15-minute walk of cities with a population of at least 10 million. But in China, the expansion of regular, mandatory inspections could cost the country 0.9% to 2.3% of GDP, Nomura Bank analysts estimated last month.

For Jin Dong-yan, a professor at the University of Hong Kong School of Biomedical Sciences, these common PCR tests are:really inefficient և expensiveև Forcing local governments to abandon other useful investments in the health sector. Authorities also risk missing out on positive cases as the Omicron version spreads faster and is harder to detect, he said. «Will not work“, He thinks. «It’s like throwing millions of dollars out the window.»