"Fears of Severe Cases Rising"... COVID-19 Positive Rate Soars to 20%, but Treatments Remain Out of Reach in China

Signs of a COVID-19 Resurgence with a 4 Percentage Point Increase from Last Week
Restriction on Retail Pharmacy Sales Makes Access to Treatment Drugs Difficult

Although COVID-19 infections are spreading in China, it has been found that it is still difficult to purchase treatments at regular pharmacies.

Although COVID-19 infections are spreading in China, it has been found that it is still difficult to purchase treatments at regular pharmacies. Photo of a cityscape in China.

According to data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as cited by the Chinese Economic Observer on August 5, the COVID-19 positive rate among patients with flu-like symptoms who visited outpatient and emergency departments at sample monitoring hospitals nationwide from July 20 to 26 was recorded at 20.3%. This figure is up by 4.0% from the previous week, and the CDC assessed that COVID-19 is currently spreading at a moderate level. Li Dongzheng, a respiratory and infectious disease physician at Beijing You'an Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, projected that the number of infections could increase further over the next one to two weeks.

The key issue is that obtaining treatments remains challenging. Cases continue to emerge in which people, after confirming their infection, are unable to obtain the necessary medication. On July 26, Xiao Qing, who works in Beijing, experienced symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, sore throat, and fever. After using a self-testing kit, she tested positive. She attempted to purchase treatment, but it was unavailable at both regular pharmacies and those listed on online platforms.

As COVID-19 spreads in China, there are continuing cases where people confirmed to be infected are unable to obtain medicine. Getty Images

Currently, in China, to obtain treatments, one must either receive care at a hospital or use the direct-operated pharmacies of e-commerce platforms. Even with online orders, it usually takes one to two days for delivery, and in remote areas, up to five days. The reason why most regular retail pharmacies nationwide do not sell the several approved oral treatments is that the sales restrictions introduced several years ago are still in place.

There are also cases of missing the optimal treatment window due to delivery delays. In mid-July, a COVID-19 patient in Jiangsu Province learned that the only available treatment at a nearby hospital was Pfizer's Paxlovid (Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir), costing more than 1,700 yuan (approximately KRW 360,000). Due to the high price, the patient ordered a domestically produced Chinese treatment from an online platform for 445 yuan (about KRW 94,000). The platform indicated next-day delivery, but the medicine still had not arrived after five days. Since taking the drug at the early stage of symptoms is crucial for efficacy, it is proving difficult for patients to obtain treatments in time.

Patients filling the emergency room of a hospital in Shanghai, China. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Pixabay

An official from a pharmaceutical company pointed out, "Although COVID-19 treatments have now received full approval following earlier conditional approval, many regions are still applying the sales management provisions that were in effect in 2022."

Another industry representative commented, "When a patient registers at a hospital, waits for their turn, undergoes tests, and receives a prescription before finally getting the medication, the whole process can take half a day to an entire day. If elderly or high-risk individuals with limited mobility could purchase treatments at pharmacies near their homes or within their communities, it would help ensure prompt treatment and reduce the risk of severe outcomes."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.