Just as China Emerges From Covid, Concerns Grow of a Flu Epidemic

China is battling a growing influenza outbreak as cases spike across the country, leading to class suspensions at elementary schools and spurring a scramble for antiviral drugs, as fears grow of another pandemic just as the country emerges from three years of Covid-19.

The rate of people testing positive for influenza reported by hospitals across the country jumped to 53.2% in the week ending March 12, more than 70 times higher than five weeks earlier, according to the latest data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). By comparison, the national Covid-positive rate for the same week was 2.7%, data showed.