China reaped big health benefits from early Covid-19 lockdowns, researchers say
- Roughly 347,000 non-coronavirus deaths might have been prevented in 7 months, more than half from cardiovascular diseases, study finds
- Contributing factors include better air quality, and less traffic and occupational stress
In findings published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature on Monday, the team said lockdowns might have prevented an estimated 347,000 deaths in the first seven months of last year in the country, with about 60 per cent the lives saved from cardiovascular diseases.
The researchers said cleaner air from less traffic and industrial activities, habits such as wearing masks, hand hygiene and social distancing, and fewer traffic accidents could have contributed to the lower death toll from causes not related to Covid-19.
“Given the increasingly heated debates regarding different counter-Covid-19 policy choices around the world, our results provide a benchmark to understand the broader health consequences of strict anti-contagion policies,” they said, referring to lockdowns.
The study was conducted by researchers from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, including its director George Gao Fu; Peking University; Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; and the University of Hong Kong.
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