China is relaxing its zero-COVID policy here s what scientists think

The Chinese government issued new guidelines easing some of its strict zero-COVID policies on Wednesday. Testing requirements and travel restrictions have been relaxed, and people infected with SARS-CoV-2 who have mild or no symptoms are for the first time allowed to isolate at home instead of in centrally managed facilities. But researchers worry the changes will lead to a rise in infections that risk overwhelming hospitals.

The guidelines represent a significant shift away from the strict policy that China has maintained for the past three years, which involved quashing outbreaks through mass testing, stringent lockdowns and border closures, say researchers. It is a clear sign that China is moving away from zero COVID, says Yanzhong Huang, a specialist in Chinese health policy at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City.

The announcement follows protests in a number of cities against the strict lockdowns. Those led some cities to loosen some restrictions on testing and movement, but the new guidelines go further.

The changes move China in the right direction , says Adam Chen, a public-health researcher at the University of Georgia in Athens. They try to balance the need to protect the most vulnerable people from infection, while also reducing the economic and social harms of lockdowns, he says.

via www.nature.com