Alarm in China that efforts to control Chikungunya virus are infringing on rights
A single mother living in Zhanjiang, a port city in Guangdong province, posted a video on social media this week showing a group of people, including a uniformed police officer, entering her children's bedroom in the middle of the night and taking blood samples from the boy and the girl, without their mother's presence or consent. The mother had been working a night shift so was not at home.
According to Chinese media, a local pharmacy had reported the family to the health authorities after the son had presented with a fever.
A hashtag related to the incident has been viewed nearly 90m times on Weibo, with many users expressing alarm about the behaviour of the authorities.
Health authorities in Guangdong are on high alert because of an outbreak of Chikungunya that started about a month ago in Foshan, a city 260km from Zhanjiang. There have been about 8,000 reported cases so far, and at least one imported case in Hong Kong, a city that borders Guangdong.
Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne disease that can only be spread by being bitten by an insect with the virus. Symptoms include fever, muscle and joint pain, nausea and a rash. In rare cases, symptoms can last for months or even years. But it is rarely fatal. Babies, elderly people and people with underlying health conditions are most at risk.
There are regular Chikungunya outbreaks in Asia, Africa and the Americas, but this is the first time that there has been a major occurrence in China.
China's Covid-19 prevention measures were among the strictest in the world, and there is a well-oiled machine to control the spread of disease that can be activated at short notice.
On 2 August, Wang Weizhong, Guangdong's governor, said that China would 'strive to win the battle against the Chikungunya fever epidemic' and ordered a range of measures.
These include eradicating mosquito breeding grounds such as pools of stagnant water, mobilising the public to empty out pots and pans that might be collecting water, encouraging the use of mosquito coils and nets and using mosquito repellent.
But the authorities have also been resurrecting surveillance and reporting measures which hark back to the zero-Covid era, in which people's daily lives were strictly monitored and controlled.
On 4 August, the Foshan local authorities announced that all pharmacies would have to report the sale of certain drugs used for treating fevers.
This appears to be how the children in Zhanjiang were identified. Chinese media quoted a local official who said that attempts had been made to contact the mother. After the outcry, the local health authorities said they were investigating the case.
Additional research by Lillian Yang
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I've lost 3st since coming OFF Mounjaro – yes the food noise came back, but here's how I avoided piling on the pounds
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The Sun
4 minutes ago
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The 6 hot weather mistakes putting you at risk of skin cancer – as surgeon reveals he's treating more children
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For example, if your skin usually burns after spending 10 minutes in direct sunlight, SPF 15 would multiply your natural burn time by 15. "This would mean that your skin may be protected for up to 150 minutes. However, your protection level relies on sun cream being applied correctly, and assuming that you don't rub or sweat any of it off during that time in the sun. "It's better to wear an SPF with a higher factor, such as 50 or 100, especially if you're at greater risk of burning (for example, you have fairer coloured eyes, skin, hair or freckles), as this will help protect your skin for longer." You should also be sure to make sure not to wear a poor quality SPF. Dr Woodman adds: "Along with choosing an SPF with a factor of at least 30, make sure you're reading the label to check the product's rating and spectrum coverage. "Choose an SPF with broad spectrum coverage – this means it'll protect you from both UVA and UVB light; both of these types of light can damage your skin. "Ideally, choose an SPF that has a UVA rating of at least four stars (ideally 5). "Check your label to make sure that the SPF hasn't expired, especially if you've had it for a while. "And always store your SPF in a secure, cool and dark place." Kimberley Medd, clinic lead at Face The Future, notes that if your moisturiser does have SPF, people often don't apply enough to get full protection. She advises: "Moisturisers with SPF are more often than not broad-spectrum, so they don't cover both UVA and UVB effectively. "If your sunscreen is SPF 30 and you add a moisturiser with SPF on top (let's say SPF 15), it doesn't necessarily give you SPF 45. The protection doesn't stack this way. "It can lower the overall protection because of how the ingredients interact. "Moisturisers with SPF often provide a lower level of protection than regular sunscreens. "Many moisturisers only offer SPF 15-30, which might not be enough for prolonged sun exposure." 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The best way to protect yourself from melanoma is to be sun safe - wear SPF every day, wear a hat and sunglasses and keep out of the sun in the hottest hours. It is also advised to avoid sunbeds. People who are fair-skinned, have blue or green eyes, blonde or red hair and a large number of freckles or moles are more likely to get skin cancer. Surgery is the main treatment for melanoma, particularly if it is found early. This will involve removing the affected tissue in the skin. Radiotherapy, medicines and chemotherapy are also sometimes used to try and stop the cancer from growing. Treatment depends on the severity of the disease. What are the symptoms? The key thing to look out for are changes to an existing mole, or a new mole on your skin. Most experts recommend using the simple 'ABCDE' rule to look for symptoms of melanoma skin cancer, which can appear anywhere on the body. There are five letters/words to remember: A symmetrical – melanomas usually have two very different halves and are an irregular shape B order – melanomas usually have a notched or ragged border C olours – melanomas will usually be a mix of two or more colours D iameter – most melanomas are usually larger than 6mm in diameter E nlargement or elevation – a mole that changes size over time is more likely to be a melanoma A mole that changes size, shape or colour may be a melanoma. But other signs to look out for include moles that are: Swollen and sore Bleeding Itchy Crusty How deadly is it? Melanoma is a deadly form of skin cancer. The outlook of a person's disease depends on the stage of the cancer when it was diagnosed. Survival is better for women than it is for men. 'We don't know exactly why this is. It may be because women are more likely to see a doctor about their melanoma at an earlier stage,' says Cancer Research UK. The charity says that generally, statistics show that in England, more than 85 out of every 100 people (more than 85 per cent) will survive their melanoma for 10 years or more after they are diagnosed. Around 100 per cent in England diagnosed with melanoma at stage 1 - when the cancer cells are only in the top layer of skin - will survive for five years or more after drops to 80 per cent for stage 2. Some 70 per cent live for a further five years when they are diagnosed in stage 3, which is when the cancer has started to spread to nearby lymph nodes. At stage 4, when the melanoma has spread elsewhere in the body, almost 30 per cent survive their cancer for 5 years or more. Cancer Research says the stage 4 data does not account for age differences. Age can affect outlook and younger people have a better prognosis than older people. Age can affect outlook and younger people have a better prognosis than older people. What is melanoma? Melanocytes are cells in the skin that give us the colour of our skin because they produce a pigment, known as melanin. When you sit in the sun, melanocytes produce more pigment (a sun tan), which spreads to other skin cells to protect them from the sun's rays. But melanocytes are also where cancer starts. Too much UV causes sunburn, and this is a sign of damage to the skin's DNA. The UV triggers changes in the melanocytes, which makes the genetic material become faulty and cause abnormal cell growth. People who burn easily are more at risk of skin cancer because their cells do not produce as much pigment to protect their skin. Those with albinism are at the most risk because their skin produces no pigment at all.
The Sun
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I've lost 21st on Mounjaro after spending £600 on takeaways a month – but I was left with a frustrating side effect
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DoorDash is a US-based food delivery platform, similar to Deliveroo or Uber Eats in the UK, that lets you order meals through its app or website. "I was able to stay at home and save the embarrassment of being looked at by people due to my size," she explained. "I would order from DoorDash daily and spend around $600 to $800 (£470–£625) a month." Joanna said one of her earliest memories growing up was her aunt calling her "fat Jodie." She said before her mother, Mary Jenkins, passed away at age 88, she had promised to lose weight. Joanna said: "I became a caretaker for my mother; she struggled with weight later in life, and it bothered her that I was going through the same thing. "It got to the point where I could not walk through the grocery store without having to stop and catch my breath. "I made the promise to my mom before she passed that I would get my weight under control." 5 In June 2022, Joanna decided to go on a keto diet - a very low- carbohydrate, high-fat diet - and lost 250 lbs (17 stone and 11lbs). But sadly Joanna started to gain weight again and went up to 386.8 lbs (27 stone and 6lbs). A year later, on June 6, 2023, Joanna, a type 2 diabetic, was put on GLP-1 by her doctor. Joanna said: "It was a last-ditch effort. I had tried everything. "Nothing would work for me. I tried Weight Watchers, I tried Overeaters Anonymous, and nothing would work for me. "I had always come back dependent on food." Now weighing 164 lbs (11 stone 7lbs), Joanna has lost 21st or 294 lbs. She has deleted the DoorDash apps and eats high-protein vegetarian meals - including tofu, cottage cheese, and eggs. 'I feel cute' Joanna has slimmed down to a size 12 and says she now feels comfortable going clothes shopping. She said: "I am so much more confident now. My daughter said this is the first time in her life that she has seen me so confident. "For the first time in my life, I feel cute and confident - I have never felt this way. "Before, I would hate going clothes shopping and buying clothes that would cover me up the most. "Now I wake up ready to go. I am happy and ready to go." Joanna said she is happy with her weight now, and that she doesn't want to become "obsessed" with losing weight. As well as taking four GLP-1 injections a month - costing $500 (£371.48) - Joanna will work out most days. Joanna said: "At first, I started going on 10-minute walks around the house. "Now, on the weekend, I will walk around six miles, and I will try to walk two to three miles a day. "I try to lift weights three times a week, too. "I am happy with where I am, I don't want to get bigger, and I don't want to get to the point where I am obsessed with losing weight." 'I had to tuck my skin into my underwear' In July 2025, Joanna underwent skin removal surgery to remove 8 1/2lbs of excess skin. She said this has allowed her to become much more confident in herself. "My skin hang was so severe it hung so low, I had to tuck my skin into my underwear to even be able to go walking. "It was so frustrating to lose all that weight and have a constant reminder of how big I used to be. "Now I have the confidence to try new things, I went to an aerial workout class, and I would never have done that before now." Are you eligible for weight loss jabs on the NHS? By Sam Blanchard, Health Correspondent THEY are arguably the biggest medical breakthrough of recent times. And now, so-called ' fat jabs ' are available to many more Brits on the NHS. In what marks the dawn of a new era, GPs have begun prescribing the weight loss jab Mounjaro in the first anti- obesity rollout of its kind. More than three million people are thought to be eligible for tirzepatide - the active drug in Mounjaro - the strongest jab on the market. Health chiefs hope it will turn the tide on England's obesity crisis which has seen rates double since the 1990s. Injections including Ozempic and Wegovy have previously only been available for type 2 diabetes or through specialist slimming clinics. Family doctors will now be encouraged to prescribe them in a bid to get more people on the meds. Experts hope widespread use will slash work sick days and boost the economy, while reducing rates of cancer, heart disease and dementia. But demand for the drugs is already huge and NHS clinics cannot dish them out fast enough. Who is eligible in the new rollout? The new rollout allows GPs to prescribe tirzepatide for weight loss, starting with those patients whose weight places them at greatest health risk. Top of the list will be those with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher (or 37.5 if from a minority ethnic background) and four weight-related health conditions. A BMI of 40 is roughly equal to weighing 16st (102kg) for an average height 5'3' woman, or 19st 6lbs (123kg) for an average 5'9' man. Weight-related conditions include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea and heart disease. Patients will likely be expected to have tried diet and exercise first before being offered a jab. Many are likely to miss out, as some 13.5million adults in England are obese but only 3.4million are estimated to be eligible in the rollout. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: 'Currently only patients who meet certain criteria - those who could benefit most - are eligible to be prescribed weight loss drugs on the NHS, and GPs will also need to follow local guidelines when prescribing. 'If your practice advises you that they won't be able to provide weight loss medication, these will likely be the reasons why. 'We appreciate the idea of weight loss medication is an attractive prospect to many patients - and they do have a lot of potential benefits for patients and may be a valuable tool as we try to tackle obesity at a national level – but it's important these medications aren't seen as a silver bullet. 'Weight loss drugs do not come without risk, they can cause side effects which range in seriousness, and they won't be suitable for everyone. 'It's important we don't lose sight of the role lifestyle factors play in achieving a healthy weight. 'The roll out of weight loss medications as a treatment for obesity must not come at the expense of other weight loss services.' If you are eligible but your GP denies you a prescription, you may be able to ask for a referral to specialist weight management services. Known as tier 2 and tier 3 weight management services, they may prescribe the jabs after other weight loss attempts. Many people are expected to find it easier to go private, with the injections widely available from high street pharmacies like Boots, Superdrug, and even Asda. There are also numerous online pharmacies offering the drugs. Buying the drugs online might seem like the faster fix – but buyer beware. Slimming success stories are everywhere but so, too, are tales of horror. Many patients have been duped by dodgy sellers, suffered severe side effects or even died after taking jabs they bought online. Bargain prices, easy tick-box applications, or prescriptions with no follow-up, should all be red flags to online shoppers.
