Chinese rush to stock up antigen kits, medicines as COVID prevention curbs ease

JD Health International

06/12/2022 09:09

By Sophie Yu and Brenda Goh
       BEIJING, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Chinese residents have rushed
to snap up COVID-19 antigen kits and medicines for fevers and
colds, as the country's recent easing of prevention measures
triggered widespread concern among the public that they could
now catch the virus.
    Online medicine platforms, pharmacies and drugmakers have in
recent days reported surging sales, with JD Health  6618.HK 
saying that sales of antigen test kits jumped 344% in the week
between Nov. 28 and Dec. 4 from the previous week. 
    "People around me are all buying antigen kits and I also
bought 50," said 40-year-old Beijing resident Huang Yuqi,
working for an entertainment company. 
    "Now the country is entering a new phase in terms of
pandemic policy and I'm unsure about what will happen next. We
can only try to protect ourselves, so I'm also buying N95 face
masks, Tylenol and Ibuprofen."
    A shop assistant at the Tongzhitang Dongdan drug store in
downtown Beijing told Reuters they sold out of fever medication
on Monday. "I have never seen so many customers come to buy
fever medication in one day," he said. "We are trying to refill
our shelves but it may take a week."
    On Monday, the market regulator in Beijing issued a warning
against hoarding and hiking prices for epidemic prevention
products, including anti-virus drugs, masks and disinfection and
sterilization merchandise.
    The surge in demand has driven up share prices in medicine
manufacturers, with cough syrup producer Guizhou Bailing
 002424.SZ , and Xinhua Pharmaceutical  000756.SZ , which makes
40% of all Ibuprofen sold in China jumping between 8-10% on
Tuesday. 
    China's strict adherence to its zero-COVID policy over the
last three years has kept its general public largely insulated
from the waves of infection that whipped around the wider world.
    By global standards, China suffered far fewer cases and
deaths, but the economy paid a price for the tough restrictions
on movement.
    Authorities finally started to ease some of the toughest
restrictions after the public's frustration boiled over late
last month with a wave of protests that marked the strongest
show of dissent since Chinese President Xi Jinping came to power
a decade ago. 
    While many people are relieved that some requirements have
been relaxed - which includes less testing and allowing positive
cases to quarantine at home in some places - there are many
other people who now feel more vulnerable to catching the virus.
    There is also some scepticism over the shift in tone in
messaging from officials who had previously emphasised the
dangers of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
    China had also in the past three years imposed rules, like
requiring people to register their names to purchase fever and
cold medicine in order to track potential infections. But some
localities have begun to drop such requirements.  
    People worried about the potential for catching COVID as the
preventative measures are dialed back are also buying Lianhua
Qingwen, a traditional Chinese formulation made by
Shijiazhuang-based Yiling Pharmaceutical  002603.SZ  as it has
been widely  promoted in China for the treatment of COVID-19. 
    Shandong-based pharmaceutical company Buchang Pharma
 603858.SS  told local news outlet Cailianshe that its factory
making a Chinese medicine for lung disease was working around
the clock due to "huge demand".
    The rush to stock up on COVID treatments drew scorn in state
media.
    "There is no scientific basis for irrationally buying and
hoarding specific drugs", the Economic Daily wrote on Tuesday. 
 (Reporting by Sophie Yu, Brenda Goh; Editing by Simon
Cameron-Moore)
 ((Sophie.Yu@thomsonreuters.com; 861056692136;))