The latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in China has peaked at an estimated 4.2 million cases per day, the London-based Airfinity health research institute reported on Wednesday.

Airfinity, based on its predictive model, estimated that deaths from the virus would peak at 36,000 on Thursday.

According to its model, some 848,000 people have died from the virus in China since the start of December.

Experts believe that travelling within the country ahead of the Chinese New Year as families come together to celebrate has accelerated the virus’ spread.

Wu Zunyou, the chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, said up to 80 per cent of all Chinese could by now have been affected.

This percentage of the population represents more than one billion people.

Airfinity said it was now expecting one large and long wave of infection rather than two, as reported earlier.

It warned that this would increase pressure on hospitals and lead to a higher death rate.

After pursuing a strict lockdown strategy for almost three years, China stopped imposing forced quarantines and widespread testing seven weeks ago.

Since then, reports have come in of crowded hospitals, overloaded crematoria and shortages of medicines.

Official figures on the pandemic’s progress are no longer being published, and foreign experts mistrust figures published by the health authority. 

(dpa/NAN)