BEIJING, April 11 (Reuters) – A World Health Organization (WHO) envoy to China has expressed concern over the high number of elderly Covid-19 cases and low vaccination rate among them in Shanghai, the financial hub battling its worst outbreak since the pandemic began..
Bruce Aylward, the WHO’s senior advisor for emergencies, said at a news conference on Monday that of the 1,000 people who were admitted to hospitals with severe disease in the past two weeks, 90% were over the age of 60, and of those 90%, 60% were unvaccinated..
Shanghai began a two-stage lockdown on March 28, with the eastern half of the city confined to their homes for four days, followed by the western half for another four days. The lockdown was then extended citywide on April 1..
The city reported 26,087 new asymptomatic Covid-19 infections for Sunday, down from 27,719 the previous day, while symptomatic cases rose to 1,661 from 1,403, the local government said on Monday..
Since March 1, Shanghai has reported a total of 122,586 asymptomatic cases – more than 95% of its total infections. Some experts say the large number of asymptomatic cases suggests that the outbreak is wider than official figures indicate, making it harder to contain..
Aylward said the WHO was working with the Chinese government to address the issue of low vaccination rates among the elderly. He said the WHO had recommended that China move to vaccinate people over the age of 80 and those with underlying health conditions first..
He also said the WHO was concerned about the mental health of people in Shanghai, who have been confined to their homes for weeks. He said the WHO was providing technical support to the Chinese government on how to deal with mental health issues during the outbreak..
The lockdown in Shanghai has caused widespread disruption to the city’s economy and daily life. Public transport has been suspended, and many businesses have been forced to close. Residents have also been struggling to access essential supplies, such as food and medicine..
The Chinese government has defended its .
