China Faces COVID-19 Resurgence With Symptoms of Sharp, Burning Sore Throat

Residents visit a night market in Baocheng Road in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on June 3, 2020. Getty Images

China is experiencing a resurgence of COVID-19, with patients reporting symptoms of severe, burning throat pain, experts say.

Zhong Nanshan, one of China’s leading pulmonologists and epidemiologists, said in an interview with China-based media on May 19 that the “razor blade throat” symptom is more pronounced in this wave of resurgence, accompanied by more frequent coughing.

“Razor blade throat” is a term used in China to describe severe throat pain, akin to swallowing shattered glass or razor blades.

Dr. Li Tongzeng, director of the Infectious Diseases Department at Beijing You’an Hospital, told Chinese media that the new wave of COVID-19, which began in March, is expected to peak in late May.

According to Zhong, the dominant strain in this wave is the Omicron XDV variant, which is highly transmissible but relatively less virulent. Early symptoms include fever, headaches, fatigue, a burning throat, and severe coughing.

He believes the epidemic is still in the “climbing phase” and is expected to last six to eight weeks and subside by the end of June.

Chinese netizens described their painful experiences with this new strain on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform closely monitored by the Chinese regime.

Netizens shared comments such as: “During lunch time a few days ago, a colleague was coughing so wildly I thought she choked on food. She said it was a lingering effect from this COVID wave. When I asked about her main symptom, she said ‘razor blade throat.’”

Other comments include, “I’ve been hit with razor blade throat and feel completely drained.”

“Post-COVID razor blade throat is brutal—swollen, painful, and I can barely speak. Any quick remedies?” another one read.

A female Beijing resident, infected for nearly 10 days, told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times: “I had a fever, sore throat, yellow phlegm with blood streaks, nosebleeds, cough, sneezing, a runny nose, dizziness, and no energy. It’s terrifying—I sneezed once and my nose started bleeding, which scared me to death. This round of COVID is too severe.”

Missing Data

The Chinese regime has faced long-standing accusations of concealing epidemic data, particularly regarding death tolls.

Although “rising COVID-19 infections” trended on Weibo, Chinese media downplayed the epidemic, and experts noted significant missing or uninformative data from the authorities.

Dr. Jonathan Liu, a professor at the Canadian College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and director of Kang Mei TCM Clinic and skeptic of data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC), said official data for March reported that seven people died from COVID-19 that month.

“With normal epidemic rates, such a low figure is implausible. Canada, with a sparse population and good sanitation, reported 1,915 COVID deaths from August last year to May this year—over 200 per month. How could China, with its dense population, have only seven deaths monthly?” Liu told The Epoch Times.

According to the CCDC, outpatient and emergency cases increased from 7.5 percent to 16.2 percent, while severe hospitalized respiratory infection cases rose from 3.3 percent to 6.3 percent.

Xiaoxu Sean Lin, an assistant professor in the Biomedical Science Department at Feitian College in New York and a contributor to The Epoch Times, said that the CCDC has failed to report the most important data.

He told The Epoch Times that the data provided by the CCDC only reflects the increasing positive rate of the new coronavirus, omitting four critical factors: the number of confirmed cases, hospitalization rates, severe case rates, and mortality rates. These are essential for understanding the true extent of the outbreak.

He said that the Chinese regime has in the past concealed too much information.

Surge of COVID-19 Cases in Asia

COVID-19 cases have also risen in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

On May 8, Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection reported that over the past four weeks, key COVID monitoring indicators reached a one-year high, with 31 adult deaths.

Singapore’s health authorities noted on May 13 that cases from April 27 to May 3 surged by about 28 percent to more than 14,000, with a 30 percent increase in daily hospitalizations.

The Taiwan CDC reported that cases have risen significantly since May, with a peak expected in June.

Zhong said that from a pathogenic perspective, the COVID-19 virus may reduce its virulence to ensure its survival, but it is too early to judge whether it will become “flu-like” in the future.

He said that one thing is certain, however: The COVID-19 virus will not disappear.

Luo Ya, Xiaohua Gu, and Grace Song contributed to this report