China reported two new deaths from Covid-19 on Saturday – its first fatalities related to the virus since January 2021 – as the country battles a surge in Omicron cases.
Both deaths occurred in the northeastern province of Jilin, which has been hit the hardest during the current wave, the National Health Commission (NHC) said. It didn’t say how old the deceased patients were or whether they had any underlying diseases.
Omicron is believed to be more contagious, but less severe than the original coronavirus or the Delta variant. However, in some cases it can still be lethal for the unvaccinated or those with diabetes, lung problems and other health complications.