DALIAN, China -- Around 900 million people in China, or 64% of the population, had contracted COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic as of Wednesday, according to a report by local researchers.
A team led by Peking University assistant professor Ma Jingjing compiled the figure using private-sector estimates on infection rates, the Chinese newspaper Economic Observer reported. The estimates were based on online search data for key phrases, like "fever."
