- We are now joined by Dr. Yanzhong Huang, who is Director of the Center for Global Health Studies at Seton Hall University.

Good to see you, doctor.

- Good to see you too, Steve.

- Doctor, one of your many area of expertise involves China.

More specifically, you have been talking a lot about, and it's important for us to better understand China's COVID policy.

As we go into 2023, this show will be seen then, what exactly is that policy and what impact has it had on China's population?

- Well, we are seeing a sea change in China's COVID response now.

'Cause until very recently, I mean last month, they were still sticking to the so-called zero COVID policy.

You know, basically they could not tolerate any COVID infections.

So even like a single case found in the locality could immediately trigger mass PCR testing, the close contact tracing, quarantine and even snap lockdowns.

But now, we are seeing the policy is switched to another extreme, you know.

Basically people are told you are on your own.

Right?

So now they focus on ... preventing severe cases.

Many of these measures were simply dropped, like mandatory PCR testing, the checking of health codes before accessing public venues, the home quarantine for close contacts.

You know, essentially many of those measures were dropped, and now the, uh... We are seeing a significant increase of the infections but in Beijing and other parts of China.

So the forecast is that in the first six months, or in the coming six months, we are going to see 60% of the population, talk about 850 million people, but that's more than twice the US population will be infected in the coming half a year.

- Doctor, let me do this.

I wanna follow up on that.

First of all, I wanna make it clear, Seton Hall University one of our higher ed partners, I wanna follow up in this way.

What is the significance, Dr. Huang, from your perspective in understanding, not only where China is, but what you believe in many other experts believe will be happening in China?

What is the significance for the United States and the Eastern region of the United States?

Dr. Huang, please.

- Well, I think it is worth taking a close eye on what is happening in China because we know, right, this virus does not respect territorial borders.

In this country we have according to a recent virus study, more than 90% of the population have been exposed, actually have been infected with the virus.

But, you know, this virus can mutate.

So according to some epidemiologists, in the coming months, you know, we can see that large number of immuno-compromised people, those essentially who are not exposed to the virus in China, they could harbor the virus for months, you know, so one leading epidemiologist basically say, "We can witness a billing of more opportunities for the virus to evolve."

You know, so, you know, that new variants could potentially by, again, return to the United States and infecting more people.

- But, Doctor, let me ask you this.

The CDC, the Center for Disease Control, clearly very important in dealing with this pandemic and other public health issues, has had its own approach to dealing with COVID.

The most significant difference between the CDC approach versus the approach of the Chinese government is what?

- Well, I think if we are talking about before December, right?

The big difference that he ... - The December 7th, on December 7th, the policies changed in China.

- Right.

- But up to that point, it was dramatically different, correct?

- Absolutely right.

Today the U.S. will rely on essentially vaccines, right?

To prevent and control, right?

- Yes.

- The disease outbreak.

But in China, they relied on non-pharmaceutical intervention measures like snap lockdowns, close contact tracing, quarantine.

- So I'm sorry for interrupting, doctor, but vaccines were not distributed and accepted widely in China, correct?

- Well, it's not exactly the case.

In fact, according to the government data, they have more than 90% of the population being receiving at least two doses of the vaccines.

But I'm talking about the inactivated vaccines, not the mRNA vaccines many people receive here.

But it is interesting that if you look at the certain segment of the population, like the elderly especially those aged 80 and over, right?

The vaccination rate is much lower, right?

We are talking about essentially 8 million people aged 80 and over have not received any vaccine and only about 40% of them received a booster shot.

- Let me ask you this before I let you go, doctor.

Your book is called Toxic Politics.

Why that title?

- Well, it is about China's environmental health, you know, so we know, right, the one of the major contributors, right, to the China's environmental health crisis is PM 2.5, the small particles, right?

That are actually considered very dangerous to people's health.

So in that sense, it's toxic, right?

But also I want to examine the issues from the political perspective, in terms how China handles its environmental health crisis.

And we found this politics itself, right, in a way can be toxic.

- Yeah.

And PS, the United States and China, the biggest emitters of ... put this in perspective, greenhouse gas.

- Yeah.

Actually the two countries, you know, they are the largest emitters of greenhouse gases.

And they're the largest contributors, Right?

To global warming.

- Yeah.

So, Dr Huang, I wanna thank you for joining us.

Dr. Huang is the director of the Center for Global Health Studies at Seton Hall University, higher ed partner of ours.

Thank you, Dr. Huang.

Wish you all the best.

- Thank you, Steve.

Have a good day.

- I'm Steve Adubato.

That's Dr. Huang.

We'll see you next time.

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