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Covid-19 spreading again in China with 83% of cases involving elderly

Published: 18 May. 2025, 19:41

Schoolchildren line up for a view of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong on May 15. [AFP/YONHAP]

Covid-19 is once again spreading across China, according to reports from Chinese media on Saturday.

Hong Kong health authorities said 30 people died from Covid-19 complications in the past four weeks and around 40 percent of the 81 severely ill adult patients died during that period.

The center's epidemiological analysis suggests that 83 percent of severe cases involved patients aged 65 or older, and over 90 percent had pre-existing conditions.

The Covid-19 positivity rate also surged from 6.21 percent between April 6 and 12 to 13.66 percent between May 4 and 10, marking the highest figure in a year.

"Our estimates show that 75 percent of nursing home residents and 90 percent of community-dwelling seniors aged 65 or older have yet to receive additional vaccine doses," said Edwin Tsui Lok-kin, controller of the Center for Health Protection. "We urge vaccinations as soon as possible for high-risk groups, including the elderly and those with chronic diseases."

A pediatric infectious disease ward chief at a public hospital in Hong Kong told the South China Morning Post on Saturday that there has been "a recent surge in child patients."

"We used to have no Covid-19 cases, but now the ward is full of young patients who haven’t been vaccinated," the chief said. "Some of them don’t show severe symptoms, but many suffer from fevers exceeding 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) for two to three days."

Tourists relax by the Victoria Harbour waterfront, with the iconic skyline providing a scenic backdrop, in Hong Kong on July 10, 2023. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Hong Kong pop singer Eason Chan announced on Weibo that he tested positive for Covid-19 and canceled his concert scheduled for this weekend in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Covid-19 cases have also been on the rise across several regions in mainland China since last month, according to Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported on May 8 that the Covid-19 positivity rate rose from 7.5 percent between March 30 and April 6 to 16.2 percent between May 4 and 10.

"The number of new Covid-19 patients over the past two weeks has nearly doubled compared to before," said Tang Shuangshui, head of the infectious diseases department at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. "However, the numbers have not yet reached a significant scale and remain within a controllable range."

Singapore has also seen a noticeable increase in infections, prompting the country to update its Covid-19 statistics for the first time in about a year.

From April 27 to May 3, the estimated number of confirmed cases stood at 14,200, marking a 28 percent rise from the previous week.

Hospitalizations during that same period also rose by 30 percent.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]