Since the end of the “zero covid” policy in China and the reopening of borders, the country has been overwhelmed by the number of new cases. The drugs are in high demand, to the point where a black market has been created.
The end of the “zero covid” policy in China was unexpectedly and abruptly announced at the end of December. The decision, taken after a wave of demonstrations of an impressive scale for the country, however took many people by surprise – including the nursing staff.
However, since the lifting of restrictions and the end of confinements, the number of cases of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has increased very sharply. The Chinese population is not yet fully vaccinated, and few drugs to treat the disease are available. Result: the stocks of many tablets, such as Ibuprofen, are completely exhausted. To meet demand, an online black market for drugs has been created, says Rest of World.
Imported Paxlovid resold for over $2,000 on Telegram
Few anti-covid drugs have been authorized in China. Until recently, the country had always refused to use vaccines other than SinoPharm and CoronaVac, both produced in China. However, they both use a technique other than that of messenger RNA, which is notably used by Pfizer, and which is much less effective. Thus, despite a vaccination rate of 90% of the population, infections are very numerous.
To this problem of vaccines is added that of anti-covid drugs. Few pills are currently licensed in China, so demand is very high and production cannot keep pace. Many Chinese have fallen back on drugs like Ibuprofen to make up for the shortage, and these are now also unavailable in some places.
In an article published on January 5, Rest of World says that the shortage has prompted some Chinese to create groups on Telegram or Twitter to remedy government shortcomings and provide treatment. The groups formed on social networks make it possible to put buyers in contact with Chinese, generally living abroad, and who are responsible for obtaining the drugs.
This is particularly the case of an entrepreneur based in the United States, who told the media that since December he had sold more than 20,000 boxes of generic Paxlovid, Pfizer’s anti-covid pill, and as many boxes of Molnupiravir. , the drug developed by Merck. Another says he has gone through hundreds of boxes of Ibuorofen and test kits. The reseller would have gone to India to be able to meet the many requests. Other buyers are based in Taiwan or South Korea, and would go around pharmacies in order to be able to supply themselves.
Once the drugs are delivered to China, they sell for exorbitant prices on local social networks, such as Weibo, WeChat and Xiaohongshu, the Chinese equivalent of Instagram. Rest of World reports that some boxes would be sold for over $2,200.