Nearly all of Beijing’s 22 million population will have been infected with the coronavirus by the end of this month, a new study found, reflecting the rapid spread of China’s outbreak.

About 92 percent of the people in China’s capital will have contracted Covid by the end of January, while 76 percent had already been infected by December 22, 2022, according to the study, which was published on Friday in the journal Nature Medicine.

The virus has been spreading at a faster pace in China after the government relaxed controls in November and abruptly abandoned its COVID Zero policy in December, according to the study. The reproductive rate increased to 3.44 following the policy shifts, meaning one person with the virus can infect 3.44 others, it found.

The rapid spread of COVID through Chinese households since Beijing decided to live with the virus last month has curbed economic activity in the country and spurred reports of hospitals and crematoriums becoming overwhelmed.

(Edited by : Ayushi Agarwal)