COVID-19: Chinese state media plays down severity of virus

China’s steep rise in COVID-19 infections may have peaked or be nearing a peak in megacities such as Shanghai, but authorities are bracing for the coronavirus wave to wash over rural China soon. Experts warn the majority of Shanghai’s 25 million people may have been infected during the recent surge. State media is playing down the severity of the outbreaks, despite obvious stresses on the healthcare system.