Top Infectious Disease Expert Defends China’s ‘Zero Tolerance’ Policy Against Criticism It’s Too Costly

What’s new: Prominent infectious disease expert Zhong Nanshan defended China’s “zero tolerance” policy in a state media interview, saying it is not too costly when it comes to sporadic Covid-19 outbreaks, and in fact costs less than treating patients after they’ve been infected.

The global mortality rate for people infected with Covid-19, which spreads fast and continues to mutate, is currently around 2%, Zhong said in the Monday interview with state-run broadcaster CGTN, noting that “we cannot tolerate such a high mortality rate.”