The end of Covid Zero and the rise of the kraken

Sooner or later, we were bound to get a Covid-19 strain with a nickname with Hollywood bona fides. Lo and behold: the “kraken variant.” Vari [Bloomberg]( Follow Us [Get the newsletter]( Sooner or later, we were bound to get a Covid-19 strain with a nickname with [Hollywood bona fides](. Lo and behold: the “kraken variant.” Source: Bloomberg Variant XBB.1.5 is “[the most transmissible sub-variant]( which has been detected yet,” a not-at-all scary thought as [ICUs are overwhelmed]( with sick people of all ages while [other transmissible diseases]( continue their unchecked run. Once again, folks, #CovidIsntOver. But maybe giving this emerging strain a [monster name]( will get people to pay attention again. China decided to lift its notorious Covid Zero policies against this dire backdrop. Few would argue that the country’s lockdowns were enjoyable or even fully necessary, and President Xi Jinping appeared to have come around to the idea that his people had reached their limits. “They are [so sick of Covid Zero](bbg://news/stories/RNXBGDT1UM0X) they’d rather be sick,” writes Shuli Ren, who was in Shanghai when Beijing rebooted its Covid policy. People rejoiced in their rediscovered freedom, she says, packing restaurants, bars and cafes, reveling in leaving their tracking tools in the dust. Unfortunately, cases in China surged almost immediately, and the country’s health-care system has plummeted into emergency status, with its citizens left alone to manage on their own. While governments all over the world bungled the arrival of Covid, “the question is why, three years on, [China is still repeating]( its own — and others’ — mistakes,” writes Clara Ferreira Marques. Before now, “what officials excelled at was controlling people, not managing disease. Now that authorities need to [shift away]( from rigorous Covid suppression, where everything was black or white, they are flailing.” Not that China had much choice. Its economy desperately needed to re-engage with the global system, not only to ease lingering supply-chain issues around the world, but also to release Chinese consumers from the isolation of lockdowns. John Authers has questions: “What does [China’s opening up mean for monetary policy](? How will this affect the signs that global inflation has peaked? Will it increase consumers’ demand for goods and services? Broadly, what are the opportunities and risks after three years of standstill?” James Stavridis sees even deeper problems with China’s Covid response and what has followed in revoking it — especially the [growing risks to global security](. Now, “there is very little natural immunity in the vast population, and the elderly are at very high risk. And Chinese citizens will now be free to travel the globe, releasing years of pent-up tourism demand. All of that creates a petri dish that could flash-produce another pandemic.” Further pandemics paired with a rise in cyberattacks, James writes, have the power to disrupt the international system. But there is [opportunity to be found](, according to Bloomberg’s editorial board. The US, and other countries, can combine forces to increase surveillance and testing, boost vaccine campaigns (and no, vaccines are [not making new variants worse](, Faye Flam points out), and encourage genetic sequencing efforts, which can help track variants and identify new ones. Such measures can keep the worst of the latest Covid surge at bay. Will the [kraken]( variant eventually take hold, leaving us struggling once more to stay afloat? Or can we escape its tentacles, better prepared for the next viral storm? Buckle up … and, better yet, #MaskUp. Further Health Reading There [aren’t enough hospital beds]( to treat America’s sick children. — Bloomberg’s editorial board The [FDA’s new rules on abortion pills]( are a step in the right direction, but they’re too tentative. — Sarah Green Carmichael The [most important health metric]( is now accessible for everyone. — Tim Culpan We’re finally getting closer to a [cancer vaccine](. — Lisa Jarvis It’s the private sector’s turn to help fight [food insecurity](. — Amanda Little Notes: To contact the author of this newsletter, email bsample1@bloomberg.net. This is the Theme of the Week edition of Bloomberg Opinion Today, a digest of our top commentary published every Sunday. New subscribers to the newsletter can [sign up here](; follow us on [Instagram](, [TikTok](, [Twitter]( and [Facebook](. Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can’t find anywhere else. [Learn more](. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Opinion Today newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Bloomberg.com]( | [Contact Us]( [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( | [Ad Choices]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022