Omicron NB.1.8.1 Variant Reaches Moderate Transmission Level in China

The spread of the Omicron NB.1.8.1 variant has reached a “moderate transmission level”, according to the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC does not give a weekly total of new infections, but its most recent data – covering the week of July 13-19 – showed the positive rate for Covid-19 tests had reached 16.3 per cent, an increase of 4.3 percentage points compared with the previous week. Meanwhile, the positive rate for influenza was 12.6 per cent, a fall of 0.9 points. The positive rate is the percentage of all diagnostic tests conducted in hospital clinics that come back positive for a specific pathogen. Last month, mainland China recorded 79,000 new confirmed Covid-19 cases, including 130 severe cases and one death, according to the CDC. The CDC advised elderly people and those with underlying health conditions to take preventive measures, such as wearing masks in public places and hospitals.