Fact Check: Is China experiencing a second wave of Coronavirus infection already?

Claim: China is experiencing a second wave of coronavirus currently

Rating: Unproven

What is the rumour about?

China has currently relaxed its lockdown measures and is easing up on travel bans. On Wednesday, it was reported that Wuhan had reported 0 domestic infections in the country. But according to the rumour, China is already under the second wave of coronavirus infection. 

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Google Trends 

After an analysis of Google Trends with respect to the second wave of coronavirus in China topic, one can see that people have been hugely searching for the topic in high volumes. The maximum number of searches have been done today on April 3, 2020. 

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Image courtesy: Google Trends 

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Republic World did a fact check on the "China is affected by a second wave of coronavirus" rumour

• Republic World did a fact check on whether China is affected by a second wave of coronavirus right now and it seems to be unproven as of yet.
• Experts say that since China has lifted all rules after lockdown, it will serve as a test case for all the other countries. Various countries can learn from China on what to expect after a lockdown is lifted after the coronavirus pandemic.

Why is China expected to have a second wave of infections?

• Wuhan reported no new virus case after the 2-month lockdown, experts are expecting a second wave to hit the country. China did not have any new domestic cases but on Wednesday had reported 34 cases of people who recently returned to the country.
• Experts believe that the novel coronavirus isn’t expected to sway away after a lockdown as it is harder to detect, unlike the SARS virus.
• Epidemiologists have warned China about the possibility of the next wave of infections, according to the transmission patterns observed from various other pandemics.
• Here is a snapshot of people posting various assumptions on whether China would be facing a second wave of infection. 

Image courtesy: Facebook

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• Epidemiologists have come to this conclusion as the COVID-19 virus stays longer in the body as compared to the SARS virus that effected in 2003. That is why a subsequent wave of the pandemic will be more difficult to avoid.
• Risks of the second wave of infection seem high because the symptoms don’t show until a few days. Within that time, the asymptomatic patients can go about spreading the infection to other people. As in China, the virus had been circulating for a few weeks before the country could take any action.
• According to Ben Cowling, an epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong, a second wave would come around the end of April, "if" it comes at all. So people need to be alert even when the rules of lockdown have been taken off.
• China has been lifting off the travel bans as well, which is also one of the reasons why health experts are expecting a second wave of transmission to enter the country. 

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What measures did China take to cope with Coronavirus transmission?

• China had used strict quarantine measures for the entire Hubei province, which was reported to contain 60 million people. This is the step that is being credited to have interrupted the transmission of the novel virus.
• Raina MacIntyre, a biosecurity professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, mentions that the Chinese are still susceptible as only 1% of the whole population got effected in the first wave, which is why the virus isn't expected to get contained unless there is a vaccine or until the maximum number of people get affected.
• China will now be vouching towards extensive testing and contact tracing as well as some social distancing measures. 

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Why are Asian countries being expected to have a second wave of infections?

• The imported cases who enter the country are also amongst the ones who could fuel the second wave of coronavirus infection in some Asian countries including China, South Korea, and Singapore.
• Japan has currently lifted its state of emergency from Hokkaido, which is reportedly the worst affected region in Japan. No new cases had been observed in Japan but authorities are still urging people to stay at home.
• Singapore recently reported 47 cases out of which 33 were imported.
• South Korea reported 152 cases on Thursday. The Nursing Home of Daegu was reported to have 74 patients who tested positive.
• A spokesman for the Beijing government mentioned that around 7000 people have returned from Beijing to Hubei via charted trains and private cars. Beijing being the capital still bears the risk of infections as originally many positive COVID-19 cases had actually come through Beijing arrivals.

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Is there any rumour you want Republic World to do a fact check on? Do you have facts about a rumour? Share your pictures or videos with Republic World on contact@republicworld.com or comment on this story itself. 

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