Covid surge spooks Beijing residents, disrupts governmentPeople queue to buy Covid rapid antigen test kits before entering a hospital in Beijing, China, on Wednesday. Covid infections are surging in Beijing, disrupting official government work and keeping people at home after authorities made an about-turn in their policy of keeping virus cases under control. Economists expect the figures to show a worsening in the economy in November even before the current Covid surge. Analysts are increasingly turning to alternative indicators, such as online word searches for Covid-related symptoms like fever. Researchers from a medical university in Anhui province last year found a strong correlation between the word searches and the number of confirmed cases.

Source: Bangkok Post December 14, 2022 23:07 UTC