Online Searches for ‘Fever’ Peak in Beijing, Baidu Data Shows

What’s new: Online searches for the word “fever” by people in Beijing have peaked on the Chinese search engine Baidu, according to company data that offers a hint at how the capital’s Covid outbreak is developing.

Searches for the term by Beijing users climbed from the beginning of this month to Dec. 12, when they began to fall, according to Baidu Index data. Similarly, searches for the term “dry and sore throat” in the capital peaked on Friday.

The index is the result of a weighted calculation based on the search volume of Baidu users. Although index data is not directly equivalent to the number of searches for a given term, it does provide a gauge of sorts for the demand for certain information, and could provide a way to track how Covid-19 is spreading through a specific part of China.

For example, the rise in Baidu searches for “fever” in early December coincided with long lines observed outside fever clinics in Beijing and reports of a shortage of fever medications in the city.

The background: The data was released as China has suffered a surge in infections since lifting some of its toughest Covid curbs early this month. The country reported more than 2,600 local cases and five deaths Monday, according to the National Health Commission.

The number of Covid deaths is up from two a day earlier. All seven of the Covid deaths were recorded in Beijing.

Quick Takes are condensed versions of China-related stories for fast news you can use.

Contact reporter Wang Xintong (xintongwang@caixin.com) and editor Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com)

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