Why has Hong Kong’s Covid wave been so bad?

After pursuing a largely successful ‘Zero-Covid’ strategy for two years, Hong Kong has now suffered one of the worst Covid death rates in the whole of the pandemic. But what are the numbers that explain this surprising vulnerability? Tim Harford spoke to Professor Ben Cowling from the University of Hong Kong to talk about the nuances of vaccination rates, Hong Kong’s ageing population, and the implications for mainland China and other ‘Zero-Covid’ countries.

Producer: Nathan Gower Sound Engineer: Rod Farquhar

(People lie in hospital beds outside the Medical Centre in Hong Kong, Feb.2022 (Credit: Peter Parks/Getty Images)