A New Virus Strain in Mainland China? Doctor Says a New Coronavirus Variant Is Spreading

Sisters, I've been diagnosed with asthma. I have to take medicine every day. This time... COVID-19 remains the leading cause of emergency room visits, dominating both northern and southern China for two consecutive weeks, with many cases involving families infected simultaneously. Some mainland netizens were shocked to discover that a new virus strain had appeared in a July CDC report. Mainland doctor, COVID-19 is leading the way, with many families infected simultaneously. On August 11, Li Yidong, Deputy Chief Pediatrician at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, posted a video on Douyin using the handle PediatricLiByeBye, stating, This wave of COVID-19 has indeed lasted for a while. Recently, we've seen a significant number of children testing positive for COVID-19 COVID-19 is still the leading cause, accounting for 13.6%. It has dominated the list for four months, from April until now, and has recently experienced minor fluctuations. Li Yidong explained that due to extreme weather conditions such as high temperatures, rain, and typhoons, as well as increased mobility during the summer vacation, COVID-19 has experienced minor fluctuations, remaining the leading cause of emergency room visits in both northern and southern China for two consecutive weeks. Li Yidong stated that cases in northern China, which had been declining, have suddenly increased. Furthermore, the 0-4 age group accounts for the second highest number of outpatient and emergency room visits, while children aged 5 or 14 account for the highest number. For those age 15 and older, COVID-19 has consistently led both outpatient and hospitalization visits. Don't take COVID-19 lightly. Li Yidong warned that after school resumes in September, pediatric patient numbers will gradually increase, followed by a major outbreak after November. Currently, four viruses require the most attention. COVID-19, followed by enterovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and rhinovirus. Has a new variant of the novel coronavirus appeared in mainland China? On August 8, a Dalian blogger posted a message stating that according to the latest CDC monthly COVID-19 report, the cause of this COVID-19 resurgence has been identified. A new variant has appeared. Figure 2 below. The rose-red trend was absent last month, and the new monthly report shows PQ-2, a lineage of NB1.8.1. The blogger also pointed out that other countries have also detected this strain, and its prevalence could trigger a new wave of infections, which may be the reason for this COVID-19 resurgence. This implies seamless continuity. Let's normalize protective measures. Some netizens also commented, COVID-19 may rebound in August. Looking at this chart, a new strain is clearly replacing it. According to data from the official website of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, for four consecutive months, April, May, June, and July of this year, the number of Class B infectious diseases nationwide ranked among the top five diseases, with COVID-19 leading the list. The predominant strains in June and July were the Omicron variant NB1.8.1 and its subclade, the sixth-generation subclade of the XDV variant. Comparing the monitoring of viral mutations in local cases from June and July, the July chart, Trends in Variant Variations in Local Cases of COVID-19 Infection Nationwide, reveals the new strain PQ-2 and its subclade, mentioned by mainland netizens above, which was not present in the June chart. These strains are shown in pink in the chart below. This appears to be on an upward trend. Netizens report that family after family is becoming infected, suggesting the current severity of the COVID-19 outbreak. A Liaoning netizen commented, we just went to the night clinic and saw hundreds of patients ahead of us. A Tianjin netizen commented, our entire family has a fever, it's so awful. My whole body aches, and even after recovering, I still feel dizzy. It started with my throat. A Hebei netizen commented, my daughter just passed away, and her grandparents and father all got infected. COVID-19 plus adenovirus plus rozola and phantom, my 15-month-old second child experienced all three last week. He's devastated. A Hunan netizen commented, I tested positive twice in one month, and both times I transmitted it to my child. I wear a mask when I go out now. I'm scared. A Shanghai netizen commented, I was on a business trip and wore a mask the entire time, but I contracted COVID-19 on the train. I quarantined in a hotel for two weeks and only returned home after the nucleic acid test came back negative. My three-year-old son had a severe cough with a temperature of 37.5 degrees C a couple of days ago, and today I have a sore throat, weakness, and a headache. It hurts when I swallow at night. Some netizens lamented, when will this end? Children around me have COVID-19 sequela, including children with diabetes and Kawasaki disease. It makes me shudder. But many people just don't want to admit that COVID-19 is still around. Since the COVID-19, CCP virus outbreak in mainland China in 2019, numerous reports have indicated that officials are preventing doctors from confirming COVID-19 in patients, instead using alternatives such as influenza A and mycoplasma pneumonia. Because the CCP has been concealing the truth about the epidemic, the number of infections, deaths, and even viral mutations caused by COVID-19 will remain a mystery to the outside world. Evergrande's final days are numbered. Its delisting will take place on August 25th. The National Business Daily reported that after four years of turmoil, China Evergrande Group announced on the evening of August 12th that it would be delisted from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The last trading day for its shares will be August 22nd, with delisting officially taking effect at 9 o'clock a.m. on August 25th. The announcement stated that the company had failed to meet any of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange's trading resumption requirements, and its shares, suspended for an extended period, had not resumed trading before July 28th. Evergrande confirmed it would not seek a review of the delisting decision. The incident dates back to January 2024, when the Hong Kong High Court issued a winding-up order against China Evergrande and initiated another round of trading suspensions. Liquidators Edward Simon Middleton and Wang Wengxi of Almanac and Partners Ltd. intervened. Although they took steps to recover some assets, there has been little substantial progress in restructuring its offshore debt. Evergrande once expanded rapidly through a highly leveraged model, reaching a market capitalization of $H400 billion at its peak. Founder Zhu Jiayin topped the Huron Rich List in 2017 with a net worth of 290 billion yuan. However, after a liquidity crisis erupted in 2021, its stock price plummeted to just HK$0.006 by January 2020, with a market capitalization of only H2.152 billion. In addition to investigating Evergrande's businesses and assets, the liquidators filed a lawsuit in the Hong Kong High Court in March against Zhu Jiayin, his ex-wife Ding Yumei, former CEO Xia Haijun, and several related companies, alleging breaches of duty in their financial reports for 2018-2020 and unaudited interim reports for 2019-2021. The court seeks to recover around U$6 billion in dividends and remuneration, and has frozen approximately H60 billion of their global assets. Evergrande had previously expanded into football, bottled water, tourism, healthcare, agriculture, and other sectors. In 2016, it changed its name to China Evergrande Group in an attempt to build a multi-industry empire. However, its plan to return to the A-share market failed, and ongoing investment disputes and arbitrations led to the collapse of its vast network. Projects have stalled, and creditors are pursuing claims. On November 5, 2009, Zhu Jiayin rang the bell for Evergrande's listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with great confidence. Fifteen years later, Evergrande is mired in debt, its assets liquidated, and it has vanished from the stock market, bringing the saga of this so-called universe real estate company to an end. The fall of Evergrande will place immense pressure on Chinese banks that financed its projects. Many of these loans, already classified as high-risk, are now likely to become non-performing assets. Regional banks, especially those in Guangdong and other Evergrande-heavy provinces, face potential liquidity shortages. This could force the government to inject emergency capital to prevent bank runs. Investor confidence in the financial sector will erode, triggering further outflows. The crisis may also tighten credit across the real estate sector, slowing the broader economy. Evergrande's default will also hit Chinese insurance companies and trust firms that invested heavily in its bonds and wealth management products. These shadow banking entities often promised high returns to retail investors, backed by Evergrande's projects. Now payouts will be delayed or impossible, sparking public outrage. Trust product defaults could lead to protests, forcing regulators to intervene. The loss of faith in high-yield financial products may cripple an entire segment of China's informal lending system. This will further restrict funding channels for other property giants already struggling.