The first wave of the epidemic in Zhejiang is expected to peak around mid-January next year

　　Zhejiang News Online December 18 (Reporter Chen Lei)On the afternoon of December 18, Zhejiang Province held the 123rd press conference on the prevention and control of the new coronary pneumonia epidemic Economic and social development situation, and answered reporters’ questions.

Chen Zhonghui, deputy executive director of the provincial Epidemic Prevention and Control Bureau and deputy secretary general of the provincial government, introduced that the current epidemic situation in Zhejiang has three main characteristics: First, nearly 80% of the population infected has become young and middle-aged, and although vulnerable groups such as “old and young” account for only 7.4%, but experts believe that with the development of the epidemic will gradually increase in the future. Second, more than 98% of cases were mild and asymptomatic, and no serious cases or deaths occurred. The third is that the popular strains are mainly Omicron BA.5.2 and BF.7, and strains such as XBB and BQ.1 have not yet been found.

According to the calculations of multiple epidemic research models at home and abroad, the first wave of epidemics in Zhejiang is expected to peak around mid-January next year, and the possibility of an earlier arrival cannot be ruled out.