About 900 million people have already contracted COVID-19 in China, according to the study. [VIDEO]

Nearly 900 million people have already contracted COVID-19 in Chinaaccording to a study done Peking University what the Chinese portal collects this Friday Network of economic observers.

As of January 11, 64% of the population had been infected with the virus after the country canceled the policy, according to the study. Zero COVID and bet on looser control of the pandemic.

Research collected today by the portal Network of economic observersnewspaper-owned Economic Observerindicates that Gansu province in the west had 91% of the population infected by this date, followed by Yunnan (southwest) with 84% and Qinghai (west) with 80%. .

Academic-led research ma jingjingfrom the National Development Research Institute of Peking University, adds that the infection peaked on December 20, about 13 days after the authorities eased the restrictions they kept on COVID-19.

However, other Chinese experts believe that the peak of the incidence of COVID-19 in China It will continue “until February or March,” Zeng Guang, former chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control, recently predicted.

The peak of severe cases will continue “even longer”, Zeng said, citing Beijing, where “the crest of the wave of cases has already ended, but the wave of severe cases is still active.”

Anxiety in China

The former official expressed concern about the “situation in the countryside Chinaand called for “attention” to “implementing a preventive strategy” in them, as the authorities have indicated in recent weeks, given the proximity Lunar New Yeara festive period when the Chinese usually return to their places of origin.

This year the celebrations will take place from 21 to 27 January.

Although local experts say that the peak of infections in large cities has already passed, and in densely populated provinces such as Henan (center), it is estimated that a large part of their population – in some cases up to 90% – is already infected with the infected, other places have called for caution due to the millions of movements that will occur during the festivities.

The rapid spread of the virus has cast doubt on the reliability of official figures, which report only a handful of recent deaths from the disease, despite multiple scenes of high pressure in the hospital. (EFE)