The Chinese state-run Global Times made allusions Monday that "imported cases" of COVID-19 from the United States have been placed under "close loop management" and have not caused "large-scale local transmission."

Amid China's grappling with President Xi Jinping's Zero-COVID policy, which has resulted in riots in the streets, the state-run paper's main focus was that Shanghai doctors were able to detect and contain the "Omicron sub-variants BQ.1 and XBB that have been prevailing in some overseas countries."

The paper then made allusions to how strains were imported from the United States.

"Among the 25 samples of XBB variants detected in Shanghai," according to the Times, "three were identified as XBB.1.5 subvariants, which has become dominant in the U.S., accounting for about 41% of confirmed COVID cases across the country, according to the data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Dec. 30, 2022."

"According to the Chinese researchers, the samples were collected from imported cases that have not caused local transmission."

"They also noted," the paper continued, "that the mutant strains imported from abroad are more complex and most of them are detected for the first time in China."

After mentioning there was no "local transmission" of the imported strains half a dozen times, the Chinese paper, in an effort to show the state's competence in handling the matter, asserted Chinese social media was abuzz with theories of a COVID-variant such as XBB.1.5, which came from the U.S., had caused its citizens to experience waves of diarrhea.

"A screenshot introducing XBB.1.5 variant became a trending topic on the Chinese social media on Dec. 31, 2022," according to the Times. "The screenshot said the variant that has prevalence in the U.S. mainly attacks heart, blood vessels, and stomach and suggested preparing Montmorillonite powder for diarrhea caused by XBB.1.5."

The screenshot led to the selling out of the medicine at many pharmacies in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen by New Year's Day, according to the report.

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