China’s Data On Covid-19 ‘Under-Represents’ True Impact Of Outbreak, Says WHO

The UN body said that the current numbers being published from China under-represent the true impact of the disease in terms of hospitalisations, ICU admissions, and particularly deaths.

Reports suggest China's data on Covid-19 deaths is far from reality

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The World Health Organisation has warned China that its official statistics on Covid-19 deaths are not showing the true impact of the outbreak and criticised China for its “very narrow” definition of Covid-19 deaths. 

The UN body released data provided by the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a day after WHO officials met Chinese scientists. According to The Guardian, China has been reporting daily Covid deaths in single figures. 

“We still do not have complete data,” WHO’s emergencies director, Michael Ryan, said. 

“We believe that the current numbers being published from China under-represent the true impact of the disease in terms of hospital admissions, in terms of ICU admissions, and particularly in terms of deaths”, he added 

China recorded only 22 Covid deaths since December and then narrowed the criteria for classifying such fatalities. This resulted in lower statistics about the unprecedented wave, which does not reflect the reality, reported The Guardian. 

According to The Guardian report, the data reported by WHO reveals that China’s CDC analysis showed a predominance of Omicron sublineages BA.5.2 and BF.7 among locally acquired infections. However, Omicron remains the dominant coronavirus variant based on recent genomic sequencing. 

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus earlier said the UN agency officials held high-level talks in recent weeks with counterparts in China. 

“We continue to ask China for more rapid, regular, reliable data on hospitalisation and deaths, as well as more comprehensive, real-time viral sequencing,” Tedros said, as reported by The Guardian. 

He reiterated that the UN health agency understood why some countries were introducing fresh Covid curbs on visitors from China. 

“With circulation in China so high and comprehensive data not forthcoming … it is understandable that some countries are taking steps they believe will protect their own citizens,” he said. 

The United States, which will require negative tests from most travellers from China starting on Thursday, praised the role of the WHO and said Washington’s own precautions were due to the lack of transparency from Beijing. 

“The UN body is in the best position to make an assessment due to its contact with Chinese officials”, The Guardian quoted state department spokesperson Ned Price, as saying. 

According to reports, China has been reporting five or fewer deaths a day since the end of its zero-Covid restrictions. 

Airfinity, a British-based health data firm, has estimated about 9,000 people in China are probably dying each day from Covid, the report mentioned.