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A resident takes nasal spray COVID-19 vaccination on Dec. 16 in Beijing, China. People can choose nasal spray COVID-19 vaccine, which has been granted emergency use, after China offering a second COVID-19 booster dose to people who had received their first booster shot more than six months ago. Hou Yu/China News Service via Getty Images hide caption

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Hou Yu/China News Service via Getty Images

A resident takes nasal spray COVID-19 vaccination on Dec. 16 in Beijing, China. People can choose nasal spray COVID-19 vaccine, which has been granted emergency use, after China offering a second COVID-19 booster dose to people who had received their first booster shot more than six months ago.

Hou Yu/China News Service via Getty Images

Three years into the pandemic, the world could be on the cusp of the biggest outbreak yet — in China.

The country had some of the strictest COVID polices anywhere, but in recent weeks has dramatically eased them.

And as China has dropped most testing and quarantine requirements, the virus is spreading largely unchecked. How could that impact China and the world?

NPR China affairs correspondent John Ruwitch, science correspondent Michaeleen Doucleff and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley take stock of where things may be headed.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

This episode was produced by Karen Zamora and Michael Levitt. It was edited by William Troop, Vikki Valentine and Nishant Dahiya. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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