Under China’s unbending virus control policy, the country’s most populous city, Shanghai is under full lockdown. In addition, an atrocious policy in place by the ruling regime is separating young children and babies from their parents when tested positive for COVID-19.

But, what has led one of the most developed cities to the nightmare, it is living in today? How China’s Zero-COVID policy is killing thousands across the nation? And is there a way out?

Shanghai and Zero COVID Policy: The Unfolding Nightmare

On many fronts, Shanghai, one of the biggest city globally, is under a strict lockdown. Amongst the deserted market and streets, over 26 million residents are confined to their homes and breaking through the silence, the drones dictating restrictions and instructions of the locked citizens.

Shortage of food, water, and medicines, over-burdened delivery network, and growing protest to open the lockdown depict the chaotic picture of Shanghai. But, Shanghai is not alone; across China, some 23 cities, homing 200 million people are living under full or partial lockdowns.

The impact closure poses a severe impact on the Chinese economy and global supply chain. The lockdowns in the first wave of COVID led to a historic collapse in economic activities in China, and now with the Omicron lockdown, indicators are plunging again.

But, despite the draconian lockdown and security measures, new COVID cases are shooting off the roof, reflecting the high transmissibility of the mutated virus.

What is China’s Zero COVID Policy

As one of the strictest steps taken toward curbing the spread of the contagious virus, China has once again adopted the Zero COVID policy.

The matric watched the number of cases found among people who aren’t yet in quarantines. Unfortunately, this figure may continue to climb in Shanghai, and the authorities will consider an outbreak contained until the indicator known as Zero infection in society reaches zero.

The current approach tries to reduce transmission and extend the time available.

China believes that removing sick people from society is the most effective way to stop the spread of the disease. Still, quarantine facilities are divisive, producing widespread concern and terror among residents.

The primarily variant resulting in the situation is China’s low vaccination rate for the elderly, especially amongst the most vulnerable category of citizen over 80-years-old( a little over 20%). Furthermore, to add fuel to the fire vaccination campaigns have been slowing down dramatically.

How Bad is the Situation in Shanghai?

Shanghai’s local government has some special autonomy under President Xi Jinping’s China; as a province-level city, it is officially under the supervision of the central government, but it has a unique status as the country’s financial capital and an emblem of China’s accomplishments for the rest of the world. 

The local administration had managed the pandemic adequately up until March, with no major breakouts. However, the quick arrival of the Omicron variety and the severe government actions accompanying it are pushing some residents to the edge.

Shanghai reported 27,719 new infections on April 14, a new record high for daily cases. But, astonishingly, 95% of these new infections are now among people in quarantine or living within a closed-loop system. The government has been testing the entire city’s population every day, and anyone who tests positive is removed from their homes and sent to centralized quarantine facilities.

The Chinese political leadership has put itself in a difficult situation by emphasizing the zero-COVID goal. If it persists, it will hamper the country’s economic recovery by exacting expenses that the people no longer consider justifiable.

However, if COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed, illnesses and fatalities will skyrocket as the virus spreads across a population lacking the protection observed in most other comparable nations.

When Will the Lockdowns End?

Once the zero COVID is achieved, Shanghai can start reopening the city. There is no timetable on when this can be achieved; however, with the new cases rising every day, it is most likely that the nightmarish lockdowns can continue for several more weeks.

Also Read: End of the Pandemic: Can We Live with COVID?

But, people are frustrated, mentally exhausted, and begging to get out. For many, this ordeal will shift how they view China as the future. While different variants of COVID killed millions around the globe, China remained a safe haven.

But, now the tables have turned.

The Urgent Needs for a Dynamic Zero-COVID Policy

Though the Chinese authorities will ultimately get the situation in Shanghai and around the country under control, the collateral damage created by the rigorous lockdown much outweighs the actual deaths inflicted by COVID at the moment.

As more cities in China sweep under lockdown, the country may again be cut off from both the inside and the outside. Moreover, what residents have gone through for the past few weeks can negatively impact their physical and mental health. As a result, the government must likewise place a premium on citizens’ mental and physical well-being.

The most vulnerable individuals should be vaccinated first, and strong safety measures should be put in place to allow regular life to continue in the state. Without these changes, the country’s economy would plummet, local firms would be forced to close, unemployment will soar, and public opinion will shift.

As a result, it’s critical to implement a dynamic zero-COVID policy that allows residents to normally go about their daily lives.

2020 was supposed to be the “Supper Year” for nature. The world was all set for major opportunities to bring nature back from the verge. And then the catastrophe happened, Coronavirus, setting long-held plans for battling climate change back. And, now the pandemic is adding more complexities to the already dire crisis: Plastic Pollution.

2022: The New Dawn

After falling significantly due to the great lockdowns, Carbon Dioxide emissions are expected to return to the pre-pandemic level in 2022. China has already surpassed its emission due to the extensive use of coal.

Also Read: Air pollution spiking risks of infertility: An inevitable issue

The coronavirus crisis has only given the environment a small intermission. Now an unprecedented consumption boom, encouraged by the leaders to boost the economy, is fueling the demand. Furthermore, as a safety measure, people have started avoiding public transportation and driving more.

But, the most visible legacy of the pandemic, plastic waste, is filling water bodies with toxins.

Masks: Life-Saving Plastic Pollution?

Do you wear masks? How many masks do you own? Are all your masks reusable?

The recent popularity of masks has made them an integral part of our lives. Without a shadow of a doubt, it saves lives and protects us from infections. Yet, the disposal of used masks has been sparking major waste management and plastic pollution discussions worldwide, especially in South Asia.

Also Read: Plastic Pollution: How Vulnerable Communities Are Adversely Affected By Plastic Wastes

A new form of wastes is now turning up into the ocean, masks. Whether higher-grade respiratory masks or basic surgical masks and single-use gloves, these used clinical wastes all belong in incinerators. According to an estimate, over 1.5 million plastic masks ended up in oceans. just in 2021.

Face masks, gloves, and wipes are composed of a variety of plastic fibers, primarily polypropylene, which remains in the environment for decades, possibly centuries, forming smaller and smaller microplastics and nano plastics. According to a study in Environmental Advances, one face mask releases as many as 173,000 microfibers per day into the sea.

Single-Use Plastic Packaging

In spite of the closure of physical shops and financial uncertainty, online sales of goods are on the rise even though consumption (and packaging) may have declined overall. There has been an increase in the use of plastic and another single-use packaging for parcel deliveries from e-commerce.

Also during the lockdown, there has been a decline in the use of single-use plastic containers for food. As many restaurants have shifted to takeout services, packaging has increased and commuting, traveling, and leisure activities decreased. This may have reduced the demand for on-the-go food and drinks.

But the staggering spike in at-home deliveries, drying up recycling market, and economics of plastics have added more to the complexities.

Efforts to curb plastic waste have come at a complicated time with regard to PPE litter. The ocean’s plastic waste is expected to triple, and there is no clear solution in sight. However, the shift would reduce the projected tripling of plastics by just 7 percent if every corporation kept its pledge to use more recycled plastics.

Due to the pandemic, disposable packaging has also increased as people purchase more takeout food. Plastic bag bans have been suspended because of fears that reusable bags will spread the virus. Similarly, a third of recycling companies in the United States have closed due to cash-strapped municipal budget cuts.

Elevated Plastic Pollution

Even before the pandemic, South Asia was the largest source of plastic wastes. India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are amongst the top 20 countries notorious for creating the most mismanaged plastic waste.

The Ganges and Indus, flowing through these countries, are listed as some of the most polluted rivers systems, swallowing over 90% of the region’s plastic waste. A report from Washington Post reveals that the world has created about 8 million tons of plastic during the pandemic, most of which are now in the oceans.

Also Read: Global Garbage Crisis: How is the World Drowning in its Own Trash?

Littered masks and gloves are carried like tumbleweeds into rivers and streams, where they reach the sea. As a result, the presence of sea turtles has been documented on beaches in South America, river outlets in Jakarta Bay, in Bangladesh, on the coast of Kenya, and on Hong Kong’s uninhabited Soko Islands. In addition, wasted personal protective equipment has clogged street drains from New York City to Nairobi and is clogging Vancouver, British Columbia’s municipal sewage system.

Plastic Pollution: No Silver Bullet

Now, entering 2022, the super year for nature is still on the waiting list. A single silver bullet can’t solve the plastic pollution problem globally across the rivers and oceans. For sustainable production, management, and disposal, plastics require interventions at all stages of their lifecycle: from production and preventing contamination to solid waste management and transitioning to a circular economy.

Also Read: Microplastics: The Miraculous Solutions to the Toxic Danger

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plastic pollution has been exacerbated in Asia. The World Bank is working to reduce plastic pollution in South Asian nations for the billions of people whose livelihoods rely on clean rivers and seas. However, to recover from the pandemic in a greener and more resilient manner, countries, especially the most vulnerable ones, will need new policies, investments, and innovations.

Ever since the first case of COVID-19 in November of 2020, the definition of normal has changed worldwide. Coronavirus has caused havoc on the global health system. Now heading into the new year, what does the future looks like in the light of the new, 500% more contagious omicron variant, titled by WHO as the variant of concern?

Let’s look at 2022, painted by scientists under the light of the COVID pandemic.

The Pandemic: Light at the End of the Tunnel

Coronavirus has already cost the world over 5.2 million lives and left 2.57 million others infected. The horrific, nightmarish damage the pandemic has done will leave a deep dent for decades to come. But, with a new year and mutant ahead, many questions are surfacing. Will the coronavirus become less dangerous? Will the mortality rate of the virus fall?

Experts worldwide believe that though coronavirus, by its very nature, will continue mutating until it finds a healthy balance. Still, the chances are that the pandemic might not be as deadly. Backed by three pillars:

• Acquired Immunity
• Vaccine
• Progress in the Medicine

Medical experts are finally expecting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Vaccine

Approximately 9 million are shielded against the virus with miraculous jabs. 3.33 Million of which are fully vaccinated. More than 36 countries have rolled out booster shots. Labs and pharmacies around the world are producing 1.5 billion doses every month.

Seven vaccines, till now, are approved by the WHO, while five stand in the queue. However, thanks to technological progress, vaccines will become more accessible in the coming year. According to an estimation, there will be about 25 billion shots of the COVID jabs available in the market by 2022.

Also Read: The Newly authorized Moderna COVID-19 vaccine VS The Pfizer

Though these vaccines can’t eradicate infections, they will provide a defense web. Breaking the link between infection and death, the vaccines, coupled with bodily immunity, can provide us a solid shield to our body against future mutations. They might not be as effective to the mutations but would, surely, not be ineffective.

The Variant of Concern

Furthermore, the vaccine developers are already racing to adjust their vaccine to defeat the mutated version of COVID. Omicron, or the Virus of Concern, is the biggest consideration today. Fortunately, scientists claim the omicron vaccine to be ready by early 2022.

With the unprecedented accelerated development of vaccines, two years into the pandemic, a substantial population has already been vaccinated. So, in the near future, vaccination may become an annual necessity.

Adar Poonawala, CEO, Serum Institute Indian, says, “we would need one to two booster shots every year to the next ten years.” Only after a decade of vaccination is likely to make us resilient enough to the COVID, as were are to the common cold today.

Also Read: Have India rushed in approving it’s indigenous COVID vaccine?

Vaccine Mandates

Moving forward, many countries are likely to make vaccines compulsory. For example, the government in Indonesia, Micronesia, and Turkmenistan have already mandated COVID vaccines for all adults. While in dozens of countries, including Australia, the USA, and Canada, vaccines are compulsory for health officials.

Also Read: The Dilemma of Implementing Vaccine Passports

In 2022, vaccination certificates are likely to become an ID. Austria, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria have already bane unvaccinated people from public places. The motive behind all these restrictions is to encourage vaccination and develop immunity against the virus.

The Pandemic: Acquired Immunity

Over 2.65 million people globally have already been infected by the coronavirus. The combination of infection and vaccination will immune our body to repel serious infection. Whereas the infected will have enough medicine to backbone them to recover.

Both the United States and the United Kingdom have already approved the COVID pill by Merck. By the end of 2021, there will be at least 10 million doses of these pills on the market. Without a shadow of a doubt, the virus from China is not going away. For the entire modern medical history, we have been able to eradicate only one disease, Smallpox.

Also Read: Widening Inequalities & Suffering Vulnerable: The Urgent Need of Vaccine Equity

Coronavirus is unlikely to be an expectation. In the coming years, more people will build immunity to the virus. As a result, the spikes in infection might mellow down. Death by COVID could still be seen, but only in people with already underlying health issues. The world is likely to learn to live with the virus by the year 2022.

2022: Not so Uncertain Future

As we step into 2022, the need to address vaccine inequity will become more crucial. Vaccine-rich countries will have to distribute and donate enough vaccines for the vaccine-poor nations. Vaccine patents will have to be waved. The need to develop a COVID vaccine safe for children will become important.

Also Read: Africa: The Long Wait For COVID Vaccine Far From Over

Stepping into 2022, mask and social distancing, coupled with occasional lockdown for curbing the spread, might still exist. But, flexible working will become the new normal. Bussines and traveling will bounce back, but not without vaccine certificates.

Hopefully, in 2022, the COVID-19 may be reduced from a pandemic to an endemic. A sessional flare-up can still be seen, but our lives can get back on the track of post-covid normalcy.