zero COVID

alternative zero Covid · alternative zero covid · alternative zero-Covid

1. uncountableHaving zero cases of COVID-19.

   No one pretends that achieving zero covid is easy, but in the long term the alternative is far worse.

   2020 October 7, Martin McKee, “Achieving zero covid is not easy, but the alternative is far worse”, in British Medical Journal, volume 371, →DOI

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   But of course, this is one project I hope we won't have to use at all. Having zero COVID is still the main and primary goal.

   2020 June 7, Isko Moreno, “‘Tondominium’ and quarantine facility goals met”, in Manila Bulletin

   Compulsory social distancing measures across England should also be maintained until zero-Covid is achieved, according to the group, with working from home actively encouraged.

   2020 August 20, Lewis McKenzie, “Boris Johnson urged to adopt ‘zero-Covid’ strategy to tackle virus”, in Press Association, London

   The prospect of societal zero-Covid is seen as a watershed in Shanghai’s anti-pandemic work. “If the city were to bring new cases in the low-risk zones to zero or near zero in the coming days, the citywide lockdown would be lifted at a gradual pace,” said Meng Tianying, a senior executive at Shanghai-based consultancy Domo Medical.

   2022 May 14, Daniel Ren, “Shanghai Aims to control outbreak within a week: Locked-down city targets May 20 to achieve ‘societal zero-Covid’ goal, vice-mayor Wu Qing says”, in South China Morning Post, Hong Kong, page B10

2. uncountableA strategy designed or intended to eliminate or completely exclude COVID-19 from a region or country, as was pursued in various countries in 2020 and 2021 but by the end of 2022 had been abandoned everywhere as infeasible.

   Zero COVID is not going away any time soon in China, and neither will the disruptions to people's daily lives.

   2022 June 3, CNN Newsroom, spoken by Selina Wang, Beijing

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   China and New Zealand have shown that the elimination of the virus is technically possible and not even particularly difficult, even though there will always be minor setbacks. Before we have a good vaccine, “Zero COVID” is by far the best strategy to get the economy going again and allow a normal life.

   2020 July 28, Veronica Hackenbroch, quoting Devi Sridhar, “Government Adviser Devi Sridhar What Europe Can Learn from Scotland in Fighting the Pandemic”, in Yerepouni Daily News, Beirut

   Zero Covid is an unfortunate term for a policy target. Some viruses can linger on forever as relatively harmless afflictions once vaccines and therapies become available while others are harder for the medical experts to counter.

   2021 January 24, Colm McCarthy, “Endless trade-off between lives and livelihoods won't win war on Covid”, in Sunday Independent, Dublin, page 26

   China's “zero Covid” policy has a dedicated following: the millions of people who work diligently toward that goal, no matter the human costs.

   2022 January 13, Li Yuan, “Zeal in China For Zero Covid Is Taking a Toll”, in New York Times, page A1

   Key Points / Question: Was the sudden end of China's zero COVID policy associated with an increase in population all-cause mortality? / […] Findings: In this cohort study across all regions in mainland China, an estimated 1.87 million excess deaths occurred among individuals 30 years and older during the first 2 months after the end of China's zero COVID policy. […] Meaning: These findings suggest that the sudden lifting of the zero COVID policy in China was associated with significant increases in all-cause mortality.

   2023 August 24, Hong Xiao, Zhicheng Wang, Fang Liu, Joseph M. Unger, “Excess all-cause mortality in China after ending the zero COVID policy”, in JAMA Network Open, volume 6, number 8, →DOI, →PMID, →PMCID, page e2330877