Experts who had appealed for the threat of the new coronavirus in China now changed their views were criticized

Recently NHK On-line reported the following:

中国 新型コロナ脅威訴えてきた専門家 見解一転し批判も

2022年12月16日 4時21分

中国で新型コロナウイルスの脅威を訴えてきた専門家が、感染の主流となっているオミクロン株について、一転して「怖いものではなく『新型コロナかぜ』と呼ぶべきものだ」と強調しました。政府が感染対策の緩和に踏み切ったことにあわせて、専門家が見解まで変えたとして批判の声も上がっています。

中国で新型コロナウイルスの感染が拡大するなか、中国政府は今月7日、多くの場所で義務づけてきたPCR検査の陰性証明の提示を求めないなど、感染対策の緩和に踏み切りました。

これを受けて、中国の感染症研究の第一人者で、「ゼロコロナ」政策の正当性を主張してきた鍾南山氏は15日、大学で講演し「オミクロン株は怖いものではない。死亡率が低く、『新型コロナかぜ』と呼ぶべきものだ」と強調しました。

鍾氏は今月9日にも「オミクロン株の感染者の99％は1週間で回復する」と述べています。

中国政府はこれまで「ゼロコロナ」政策のもとで感染を抑え込んだとアピールしてきたなかで急きょ、対策の緩和に踏み切ったことから人々の間では新型コロナウイルスに対する不安感が根強く残っています。

政府の政策転換にあわせて専門家が見解まで変えたとしてSNS上では「この人の話はもう聞きたくない」などと批判の声も上がっています。

Translation

An expert who had complained about the threat of the new coronavirus in China now emphasized that the Omicron strain, which was the mainstream of infection, should be called 'new corona cold' rather than scary. Criticism were raised that experts changed their views in line with the government's relaxation of infection control measures.

With the spread of the new coronavirus in China, on the 7th of this month, the Chinese government took steps to relax infection control measures, such as not requiring the presentation of a negative PCR test, which had been mandatory in many places.

In response to this, Zhong Nanshan, a leading researcher of infectious diseases in China who had advocated the legitimacy of the "zero corona" policy, gave a lecture at the university on the 15th, saying, "Omicron stocks are not scary. Mortality rate is low and should be called the 'new corona cold'."

Mr. Zhong also said on the 9th of this month that ``99% of those infected with the Omicron strain will recover in a week.''

The Chinese government had been up to now appealing that it had suppressed the infection under the original "zero corona" policy, but since it hastily eased the measures, there was a deep-rooted sense of anxiety among people about the new coronavirus.

As the government's policy changed, even experts might change their views to toe the line, criticism also appeared on social media, saying, "I don't want to hear this person's story anymore."

              So, in a totalitarian government, only one voice will be tolerated. I think  people living under such a government already know that.