What’s behind China’s spike in Covid-19 cases? And is it cause for concern? - South China Morning Post

What the report says

Post Magazine, citing reporting from the South China Morning Post, reported that China has recorded a recent rise in Covid-19 activity, with the disease surpassing influenza as the leading respiratory pathogen in hospital clinic testing for the first time this year. The report, published July 28, 2026 and updated July 29, said the increase is linked to spread of the Omicron NB.1.8.1 variant, which China’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention described as being at a “moderate transmission level.”

According to the publisher, the CDC’s latest available surveillance data covered July 13-19 and showed 16.3% of Covid-19 tests were positive, up 4.3 percentage points from the prior week. Influenza’s positivity rate was 12.6%, down 0.9 points. The article noted that China’s CDC does not release a weekly total for new Covid-19 infections; the positivity rate reflects the share of diagnostic tests in hospital clinics that detect a specific pathogen.

The report said most patients have had mild illness, and health authorities indicated current infection levels remain well below last year’s peak. Mainland China recorded 79,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the previous month, including 130 severe cases and one death, according to CDC figures cited by the outlet.

The development matters because Covid-19 is circulating more actively during summer, a season traditionally less associated with respiratory-virus surges than winter. Experts cited by the article said conditions that help the virus spread in summer and winter appear to be becoming more similar. The CDC advised older adults and people with underlying conditions to take precautions, including wearing masks in public places and medical settings.