Editor’s Note: I am posting this story by Shawn Jiang and Lynn Xu from our premium news partners at The Epoch Times because I’ll be discussing it on an upcoming episode of The JD Rucker Show. I contend that while the information in this story is accurate, the underlying narrative is far more deceptive. The Chinese Communist Party is using this new surge to drive an agenda that is almost certainly tied to the resurgences of the Pandemic Treaty for their puppets at the World Health Organization. Keep that in mind as you read the article.
China is facing a COVID crisis that Chinese experts predict will come to three peak waves that will last three to four months, with foreign experts warning that the tsunami-like epidemic will pose a serious challenge to the country’s health care system and could kill millions of people.
Outbreak May Last Four Months
Community doctors will undergo the largest wave of viral infections in history, said Zhang Wenhong, chief of the infection department at Huashan Hospital of Fudan University on Dec. 18, stressing that in this round of the epidemic, patients will be concentrated in communities; while in the past, they were more often in the quarantine sites or designated hospitals.
Asked when the epidemic would subside, Zhang suggested that it will take two to four months.
On Dec. 17, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, spoke at an annual financial meeting that this winter’s epidemic can be summarized as “one peak and three waves.” The first wave will be from mid-December 2022 to mid-January 2023, mainly in cities and on the rise. The second wave will be from late January to mid-February 2023 when people flow before Chinese New Year. The third wave will be from late February to mid-March when people return to work after the New Year. These three waves constitute the peaks of the new winter epidemic, which will last about three months, according to Chinese portal site NetEase.
Wu predicted that the infection rate would be about 10 percent to 30 percent and the death rate would be about 0.09 percent to 0.16 percent, sounding the alarm to high-risk groups such as the vulnerable, elders, and people with underlying diseases.
Caution should be exercised to prevent tsunami-like outbreaks, Wu warned.
On Dec. 7, the Chinese regime suddenly lifted its “zero-COVID” policy that had been in place for three years. Since then, infections have soared, hospitals have been overwhelmed with patients, fever medicine sold out, funeral homes overloaded, and people in panic.
‘It Will Be a Tsunami’
Many epidemiological models suggest that the current outbreak in China will be huge. “Many of the models, the mathematical and epidemiology models [show] that it will be a tsunami,” said Jennifer Bouey, director of China policy research at RAND, an American think tank, at an online discussion hosted by the agency on Dec. 15.
It is expected to last for several months, depending on the state of China’s health care system, he said.
Bouey believes the upper limit of the Chinese health system will be reached soon, and models suggest it may be within 30 to 40 days, at the end of January, which coincides with the Chinese New Year. “We will see probably the first crisis relates to the health system. But I think the infection will have multiple waves in the next six months,” Bouey said.
Bouey pointed out that the biggest problem is the Chinese regime’s lack of preparation this summer, with lower booster vaccination rates, antiviral drugs, and ICU beds, “I feel that there’s almost no preparation before this.” He said.
Death Toll May Exceed 1 Million
Models prediction published in The Economist on Dec. 15 predict that 1.5 million Chinese could die if the virus were allowed to run its course. In the worst-case scenario, about 96 percent of the population will contract the virus in the next three months and demand for ICU beds will rapidly outpace supply, with people over the age of 60 accounting for 90 percent of deaths. At its peak, nearly 2 percent of the working-age population will be infected with symptoms.
A research report released on Dec. 14, co-written by Gabriel Leung, former dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, said that without large-scale measures such as enhanced vaccination, the deaths toll in China could reach 684 per million people after the lifting of the restrictions, bringing the total number of deaths to 960,000 for China’s population of 1.4 billion, according to Bloomberg.
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‘Could Have Been Avoided’
Larry Gostin, a professor at Georgetown University School of Law and director of the World Health Organization’s Coordinating Centre for Public Health Law and Human Rights, told VOA on Dec. 7 that he was surprised to see such a confusing withdrawal from the zero-COVID policy in China, with no clear plan to cope with an overburdened health system.
He said that the three-year zero-COVID policy has resulted in very low natural immunity among the public and inadequate booster vaccination rates in the Chinese population. These factors, combined with the highly transmissible Omicron variant, could lead to a spike in hospitalizations and deaths in China, especially among the elderly and those with chronic diseases.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
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