The surge in demand for respiratory disease medications in China has prompted significant output increases among major drugmakers, and industry experts foresee an increasing need for such remedies in the coming days.（大意：中国对呼吸道疾病药物的需求激增，促使主要制药企业的产量大幅增加，行业专家预计，未来几天对此类药物的需求将增加。）

However, there is no danger of drug shortages nationwide, thanks to the country's pharmaceutical production capability and unlikelihood of panic buying among consumers, they said.（大意：不过，他们表示，由于国家的药品生产能力和消费者不太可能出现恐慌性购买，全国范围内没有药品短缺的危险。）

Since the start of the winter, China has seen a rise in acute infectious respiratory diseases, with the prevalence of multiple pathogens amid the ebbs and flows of infection spikes.（大意：入冬以来，中国急性传染性呼吸道疾病的发病率有所上升，在感染高峰的起伏中，多种病原体流行。）

While influenza cases are currently at high levels, Liu Tonghua, former deputy president of the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, said that it is possible that people will see repeated infections of one or multiple pathogens simultaneously.（大意：虽然流感病例目前处于高水平，但北京中医药大学原副校长刘铜华表示，人们可能会同时看到一种或多种病原体的反复感染。）

"Winter and spring are usually peak seasons for respiratory diseases, and the natural immunity of recovered people can only work against the pathogens they overcome for limited durations. They may also contract illnesses from different pathogen variants," Liu said.

"In addition, people's ability to fight off infectious respiratory diseases may decline following repeated infections."（大意：刘铜华表示，冬季和春季通常是呼吸道疾病的高峰期，康复者的自然免疫力只能在有限的时间内对抗他们战胜的病原体。他们也可能感染不同病原体变种的疾病。此外，反复感染后，人们抵抗传染性呼吸道疾病的能力可能会下降。）

Lei Zhenglong, chief of the epidemic control and prevention division of the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, said at a recent news conference that COVID-19 infections in China might rebound to a certain degree around the time of the Spring Festival holiday, due to a flurry of travel and large family gatherings.（大意：国家疾病预防控制局传染病防控司司长雷正龙在近日的新闻发布会上表示，预计春节假期前后，人群大规模流动，探亲访友、聚餐聚会活动增加等多种因素影响，新冠疫情可能出现一定程度的回升。）

According to online healthcare platform JD Health, sales of flu medication surged 340 percent and 13 percent, respectively, in the first 12 days of January compared with numbers for the same periods in November and December.（大意：根据在线医疗平台京东健康的数据，与11月和12月同期相比，1月前12天流感药物的销售额分别激增340%和13%。）

The first week of the year also saw sales of cold drugs, analgesic medicines and cough suppressants all surge by double-digit percentages from the last week of 2023, according to 111, Inc — a digital healthcare platform.（大意：根据数字医疗保健平台111，Inc的数据，今年第一周，感冒药、止痛药和止咳药的销售额都比2023年最后一周增长了两位数。）

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Sichuan Good Doctor Panxi Pharmaceutical Co Ltd also said its output of Kanggan Granule, a signature TCM cold treatment, increased roughly 37 percent year-on-year in the past three months, to around 2.04 million packs a day.（大意：四川好医生攀西药业同样表示，公司治疗感冒的品牌中成药抗感颗粒的产量在过去三个月同比增长约37%，达到每天204万包左右。）

Wen Jianguo, factory head of the company, said: "We see many large trucks waiting in line to load products every day at our warehouse. We have established special working groups on raw material procurement, logistical support and services supply, and organized workers into three shifts per day to produce drugs day and night to meet market demand at the fastest pace possible."（大意：四川好医生攀西药业厂长文建国说：我们每天都会看到很多大卡车在仓库排队装载产品。企业成立了原材料采购、后勤保障和服务供应的专门工作组，并组织工人每天三班倒，夜以继日地生产药品，以最快的速度满足市场需求。”）

In addition, the company anticipates its daily production capacity will expand more than fivefold, as its smart factory will start operations soon. The latter is being built with an investment of 637 million yuan ($88.52 million) and covers an area of around 115,333 square meters, Wen said.（大意：此外，该公司的智能工厂将很快开始运营，预计日产能将增长五倍以上。文建国表示，好医生智能工厂正在建设中，该工厂投资6.37亿元人民币（8852万美元），占地面积约115333平方米。）

Experts said that enterprises can increase production and enhance distribution very quickly due to China's pharmaceutical industrial and supply chains' breadth and agility, and there is little chance for drug shortages.（大意：专家表示：由于中国医药产业和供应链的广度和灵活性，企业可以很快增加产量和加强分销，药品短缺的可能性很小。）

"The production of relevant drugs has increased quickly with supply of raw materials being stable, and people are not likely to hoard drugs out of panic this time," said Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

"In addition, medical resources from other parts of the country will arrive very quickly if there are shortages of some drugs in some regions, making widespread shortages of pharmaceuticals unlikely," Zhou added.（大意：中国商务部国际贸易经济合作研究院高级研究员周密表示：“随着原材料供应的稳定，相关药物的产量迅速增加，人们这次不太可能出于恐慌囤积药物。此外，如果一些地区出现药品短缺，来自全国其他地区的医疗资源将很快到达，这将使药品不太可能普遍短缺。”）