China's mass testing is resulting in a sea of medical waste
1/6
Zero-Covid strategy
China's insistence on a zero-Covid strategy, which calls for millions of testing almost every day, has an expected fallout - tons of medical waste.
2/6
Routine testing
From Beijing to Shanghai, Shenzhen to Tianjin, cities are now home to an archipelago of temporary testing kiosks, AFP reports. And authorities order hundreds of millions of people to get swabbed every two or three days.
3/6
Hazardous biomedical waste
This mass testing creates a sea of hazardous biomedical waste. And a mounting economic burden for local governments who must plough tens of billions of dollars into funding the system.
Amazon Top Deals
POWERED BY
Crompton Ozone 75 Litres Desert Air Cooler for home | Large & Easy Clean Ice Chamber | 4-Way Air Deflection | High Density Honeycomb Pads | Everlast Pump | Auto Fill| 3 Year Brand Warranty
₹9,999Buy Now42%
OFF
LG 32 L Convection Microwave Oven (MC3286BRUM, Black, 360° Motorised Rotisserie for Bar-be-queing, 301 Auto Cook Menu, Stainless steel cavity, Indian Cuisine, Tandoor Se, Steam Clean & Diet Fry)
₹19,090Buy Now20%
OFF
4/6
Can contaminate environment
If not disposed of properly, biomedical waste can contaminate soil and waterways, posing threats to the environment and human health. The mounting waste is prompting fears that it could be disposed of haphazardly.
5/6
Overburdened facilities
In China, local authorities are tasked with sorting, transporting and disposing of Covid waste -- usually by incineration. But disposal systems in the poorer rural parts are overburdened.
6/6
Huge numbers
An AFP report says that cities and provinces totalling a population above 600 million have ordered routine tests. The mountains of medical waste this will throw up is mind-boggling.