China’s chief epidemiologist who helped drive the anti-COVID fight dies at age 60
1 year, 1 month ago

China’s chief epidemiologist who helped drive the anti-COVID fight dies at age 60

Associated Press  

BANGKOK — Wu Zunyou, an epidemiologist who helped drive the country’s strict zero-COVID measures in China that suspended access to cities and confined millions to their homes, died on Friday. An announcement from China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention about Wu’s death gave no cause, but said that “rescue measures failed.” Wu’s health had been poor. Yet, as China battled the COVID-19 virus, Wu came to be criticized by some for his choice to publicly voice support for the country’s strict virus control measures even as the weaknesses of the strategy became more pronounced. “Dynamic zero-COVID is appropriate for China’s reality, and is the best choice to control our country’s current COVID situation,” he said in April 2022, during the height of Shanghai’s lockdown.

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History of this topic

China tries to ‘bury the memory’ and trauma of zero-COVID era
1 year ago

China tries to ‘bury the memory’ and trauma of zero-COVID era

Al Jazeera  

A year after Beijing abandoned the policy’s strict lockdowns and endless testing, its failures remain unaddressed. “Doctors and nurses were rushing around everywhere between long lines of patients waiting their turn, and people were even sitting on the floor and against the walls,” Ma, who is 36 and works as a sales representative in China’s northeastern Shandong province, told Al …

Chinese man who reported on COVID to be released after 3 years
1 year, 7 months ago

Chinese man who reported on COVID to be released after 3 years

LA Times  

Visitors gather near a portrait of Sun Yat-sen, who is widely regarded as the founding father of modern China, in Tiananmen Square during the May Day holiday period in Beijing on Sunday. Fang Bin and other members of the public who were dubbed citizen journalists posted details of the pandemic in early 2020 on the internet and social media, embarrassing …

Ignoring experts, China’s sudden zero-COVID exit cost lives
1 year, 9 months ago

Ignoring experts, China’s sudden zero-COVID exit cost lives

Associated Press  

BEIJING — When China suddenly scrapped onerous zero-COVID measures in December, the country wasn’t ready for a massive onslaught of cases. “It wasn’t a sound public health decision at all,” said a China CDC official, declining to be named to speak candidly on a sensitive matter. At a mid-April internal panel discussion recently made public by the Beijing-based Center for …

Ignoring experts, China’s sudden zero-COVID exit cost lives
1 year, 9 months ago

Ignoring experts, China’s sudden zero-COVID exit cost lives

LA Times  

An elderly patient uses a ventilator in the hallway of the emergency ward in Beijing in January. Chinese state media claimed the decision to open up was based on “scientific analysis and shrewd calculation,” and “by no means impulsive.” But in reality, China’s ruling Communist Party ignored repeated efforts by top medical experts to kick-start exit plans until it was …

China says 200 million treated for COVID since November, pandemic ‘decisively’ beaten
1 year, 10 months ago

China says 200 million treated for COVID since November, pandemic ‘decisively’ beaten

LA Times  

Commuters during the morning rush hour in the central business district of Beijing on Thursday. China says more than 200 million of its citizens have been diagnosed and treated for COVID-19 since it lifted strict containment measures beginning in November. With 800,000 of the most critically ill patients having recovered, China has “decisively beaten” the pandemic, according to notes from …

'Not Afraid of the Virus': Wuhan Turns Page on Covid, Three Years On
1 year, 11 months ago

'Not Afraid of the Virus': Wuhan Turns Page on Covid, Three Years On

News 18  

Residents of China’s Wuhan said Monday they were hopeful for the future and no longer afraid of Covid-19, three years after the city was locked down over what was then a mysterious virus. Many flocked to Guiyuan Temple, one of Wuhan’s most famed sites — open for a Lunar New Year holiday for the first time in three years. “People …

’Not afraid of the virus’: Wuhan turns page on Covid, three years on
1 year, 11 months ago

’Not afraid of the virus’: Wuhan turns page on Covid, three years on

Live Mint  

Residents of China's Wuhan said Monday they were hopeful for the future and no longer afraid of Covid-19, three years after the city was locked down over what was then a mysterious virus. But life is now back to normal for many across the globe and after almost three years of gruelling lockdowns and mandatory mass testing, Beijing last month …

China logs nearly 13,000 Covid deaths in a week
1 year, 11 months ago

China logs nearly 13,000 Covid deaths in a week

The Hindu  

China reported nearly 13,000 Covid-related deaths in hospitals between January 13 and 19, after a top health official said the vast majority of the population had already been infected. The death toll came a week after China said nearly 60,000 people had died with Covid in hospitals in just over a month -- but there has been widespread scepticism over …

China lifted 'zero covid' policy to eradicate Tibetans from Tibet: Report
1 year, 11 months ago

China lifted 'zero covid' policy to eradicate Tibetans from Tibet: Report

Op India  

After the mass protest against China’s Zero Covid policy, Beijing took a U-turn and loosened up its strict restriction only to use them as a tool to kill and eradicate the Tibetans from Tibet, as per the Voice Against Autocracy. According to the latest report, 100 people alone have died in Lhasa due to Covid since Beijing lifted its strict …

China says critical COVID cases have peaked as holiday travel surges
1 year, 11 months ago

China says critical COVID cases have peaked as holiday travel surges

The Hindu  

The number of COVID patients needing critical care in China's hospitals has peaked, health authorities said on Thursday, as millions travelled across the country for long-awaited reunions with families, raising fears of fresh outbreaks. There has been widespread scepticism over China's official COVID data since it abruptly axed anti-virus controls last month that had shielded China's 1.4 billion people from …

China's Covid death data hides true toll: Report
1 year, 11 months ago

China's Covid death data hides true toll: Report

India TV News  

China Covid update: The nearly 60,000 Covid-related deaths China reported for the first five weeks of its current outbreak, the largest the world has ever seen, may underestimate the true toll by hundreds of thousands of fatalities, experts were quoted as saying in a media report. China's abrupt pivot from Covid Zero in early December unleashed a surge of omicron …

WHO says its chief spoke with Chinese officials, welcomes COVID-19 data
1 year, 11 months ago

WHO says its chief spoke with Chinese officials, welcomes COVID-19 data

The Hindu  

The World Health Organization's head has spoken with Chinese authorities and the agency welcomed new information about the situation in the country, WHO said on Saturday after Beijing released new data showing a big jump in COVID-19-related deaths. Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke with Ma Xiaowei, director of China’s National Health Commission, about the wave of infections which erupted …

China reports huge rise in COVID-related deaths after data criticism
1 year, 11 months ago

China reports huge rise in COVID-related deaths after data criticism

ABC  

China says nearly 60,000 people with COVID-19 have died in hospital since it abandoned its zero-COVID policy last month, a huge increase from previously reported figures that follows global criticism of the country's coronavirus data. Key points: China had previously reported just over 5,000 deaths since the pandemic began The WHO had said earlier this week said that China was …

China reports 60,000 COVID-related deaths, says peak passed
1 year, 11 months ago

China reports 60,000 COVID-related deaths, says peak passed

Associated Press  

BEIJING — China on Saturday reported nearly 60,000 deaths in people who had COVID-19 since early December, offering hard numbers for an unprecedented surge that was apparent in overcrowded hospitals and packed crematoriums, even as the government released little data about the status of the pandemic for weeks. China stopped reporting data on COVID-19 deaths and infections after abruptly lifting …

China reports nearly 60,000 deaths due to Covid-19 complications in 35 days
1 year, 11 months ago

China reports nearly 60,000 deaths due to Covid-19 complications in 35 days

Firstpost  

The figure refers only to deaths recorded at medical facilities, with the total count likely to be higher. It includes 5,503 deaths caused by respiratory failure directly due to the virus, and 54,435 deaths caused by underlying diseases combined with Covid-19, Chinese health officials said Beijing: China’s health authorities on Saturday reported almost 60,000 Covid-19 related deaths in just over …

China reports almost 60,000 Covid-related deaths in a month
1 year, 11 months ago

China reports almost 60,000 Covid-related deaths in a month

Deccan Chronicle  

BEIJING: China's health authorities on Saturday reported almost 60,000 Covid-related deaths in just over a month, the first major death toll released by the government since the loosening of its virus restrictions in early December. China recorded 59,938 Covid-related deaths between December 8, 2022 and January 12 this year, Jiao Yahui, head of the Bureau of Medical Administration under the …

China reports almost 60,000 COVID-related deaths since December
1 year, 11 months ago

China reports almost 60,000 COVID-related deaths since December

The Hindu  

China’s National Health Commission on Saturday said the country had reported close to 60,000 deaths from COVID-19 since the ending of the stringent “zero-COVID” policy on December 7, 2022. In a 36-day period from December 8, 2022 to January 12, 2023, there were a total of 59,938 deaths, Jiao Yahui, director of the National Health Commission’s medical affairs department, said …

COVID-19 update: China reports nearly 60,000 coronavirus deaths since December 2022| DETAILS
1 year, 11 months ago

COVID-19 update: China reports nearly 60,000 coronavirus deaths since December 2022| DETAILS

India TV News  

China COVID deaths : China today reported nearly 60,000 deaths in people who had COVID-19 since early December following complaints the government was failing to release data about the status of the pandemic. The death toll included 5,503 deaths due to respiratory failure caused by COVID-19 and 54,435 fatalities from other ailments combined with COVID-19. The National Health Commission said …

China says 60,000 people have died of Covid since early December
1 year, 11 months ago

China says 60,000 people have died of Covid since early December

CNN  

CNN — Close to 60,000 people have died of Covid in China since the country abruptly abandoned its tight “zero-Covid” policy in early December, a medical official from the National Health Commission told a press conference in Beijing on Saturday. The World Health Organization and the United States have accused China of “under-representing” the severity of its current outbreak, while …

China reports almost 60,000 COVID-related deaths, says peak has passed
1 year, 11 months ago

China reports almost 60,000 COVID-related deaths, says peak has passed

LA Times  

China on Saturday reported nearly 60,000 deaths among people who had COVID-19 since early December, offering hard numbers for an unprecedented surge that was apparent in overcrowded hospitals and packed crematoriums, even as the government released little data about the status of the pandemic for weeks. It said those “deaths related to COVID” occurred in hospitals, which left open the …

WHO says Covid deaths in China ‘heavily underreported’; praises US transparency
1 year, 11 months ago

WHO says Covid deaths in China ‘heavily underreported’; praises US transparency

Hindustan Times  

The WHO reiterated Wednesday the need for China to share more data on its explosive Covid outbreak, while praising Washington's "radical transparency" in its efforts to battle a new sub-variant. "WHO still believes that deaths are heavily underreported from China," its emergencies director Michael Ryan told reporters. He blamed Beijing's narrow definition of what constitutes a Covid death, and also …

In China, zero-COVID policy to zero COVID policies
1 year, 11 months ago

In China, zero-COVID policy to zero COVID policies

The Hindu  

On December 20, almost two weeks since China’s sudden and unexpected scrapping of its stringent “zero-COVID” policy, the country officially reported a little over 3,000 COVID-19 cases. The Communist Party’s official People’s Daily, in the lead-up to the Congress, published three editorials on consecutive days, calling for “patience with current policies” and warning that “zero COVID must be adhered to”. …

‘Covid deaths are clearly piling up’, says top US scientist as WHO warns China
1 year, 11 months ago

‘Covid deaths are clearly piling up’, says top US scientist as WHO warns China

Live Mint  

Epidemiologist and health economist Dr Eric Feigl-Ding has informed that World Health Organisation's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has asked China to stop under-reporting Covid deaths. The World Health Organisation had also criticized China's ‘narrow' definition of Covid deaths—of suppressing deaths. China reported one new Covid death in the mainland for Wednesday, compared with five a day earlier, bringing its official …

WHO says China is undercounting Covid deaths, asks for more reliable data
1 year, 11 months ago

WHO says China is undercounting Covid deaths, asks for more reliable data

Live Mint  

BY JOYU WANG | UPDATED JAN 04, 2023 11:09 PM EST Agency’s chief says testing requirements adopted by some countries for travelers from China are understandable The World Health Organization in a briefing Wednesday urged Beijing to be more transparent about its Omicron outbreak, with some officials questioning the accuracy of the country’s Covid-19 data. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus …

China ‘under-representing’ true impact of Covid outbreak, WHO says
1 year, 11 months ago

China ‘under-representing’ true impact of Covid outbreak, WHO says

CNN  

CNN — The World Health Organization has accused China of “under-representing” the severity of its Covid outbreak and criticized its “narrow” definition of what constitutes a Covid death, as top global health officials urge Beijing to share more data about the explosive spread. He acknowledged that many countries have seen lags in reporting hospital data, but pointed to China’s “narrow” …

WHO accuses China of downplaying Covid surge amid ‘risk to life’
1 year, 11 months ago

WHO accuses China of downplaying Covid surge amid ‘risk to life’

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “WHO is concerned about the risk to life in …

WHO worried about surge of COVID in China amid lack of info
1 year, 11 months ago

WHO worried about surge of COVID in China amid lack of info

Associated Press  

GENEVA — The head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday the agency is “concerned about the risk to life in China” amid the coronavirus’ explosive spread across the country and the lack of outbreak data from the Chinese government. “The reality for China is that many countries they don’t have enough information to base their risk assessment,” he said. …

WHO: China COVID data underrepresents surge, deaths
1 year, 11 months ago

WHO: China COVID data underrepresents surge, deaths

The Hindu  

China's COVID-19 data is not giving an accurate picture of the situation there and underrepresents the number of hospitalisations and deaths from the disease, a senior official at the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. "We believe that the current numbers being published from China underrepresent the true impact of the disease in terms of hospital admissions, in terms of …

China COVID data shows no new variant but under-reports deaths: WHO
1 year, 11 months ago

China COVID data shows no new variant but under-reports deaths: WHO

India Today  

Data from China shows no new coronavirus variant has been found there, but it also under-represents how many people have died in the country's rapidly spreading outbreak, World Health Organization officials said on Wednesday. Global unease has grown about the accuracy of China's reporting of an outbreak that has filled hospitals and overwhelmed some funeral homes since Beijing abruptly reversed …

70% of Chinese megacity infected with Covid, doctor says
1 year, 11 months ago

70% of Chinese megacity infected with Covid, doctor says

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. WHO officials have met counterparts from China’s National Health …

China's Xi Jinping has a plot to infect the world, spread new Covid-19 variant, warns Mike Pompeo
1 year, 11 months ago

China's Xi Jinping has a plot to infect the world, spread new Covid-19 variant, warns Mike Pompeo

Firstpost  

Washington: Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned that Chinese President Xi Jinping has a plot to infect the world and spread a new Covid-19 variant. The former Trump official told radio host John Catsimatidis that Covid could rapidly spread across the globe because more Chinese residents are now free to travel after the Xi administration dropped its strict …

China's President Xi Jinping says 'light of hope in front of us' on COVID-19
1 year, 11 months ago

China's President Xi Jinping says 'light of hope in front of us' on COVID-19

Firstpost  

China on Saturday reported more than 7,000 new infections and one death linked to COVID out of its population of 1.4 billion – but the figures appear to be out of step with the reality on the ground Beijing, China: President Xi Jinping said Saturday the “light of hope is right in front of us” as China faces an explosion …

Lack of info on China’s COVID-19 surge stirs global concern
1 year, 11 months ago

Lack of info on China’s COVID-19 surge stirs global concern

Associated Press  

BEIJING — Moves by several countries to mandate COVID-19 tests for passengers arriving from China reflect global concern that new variants could emerge in its ongoing explosive outbreak — and that the government may not inform the rest of the world quickly enough. Wu Zunyou, the chief epidemiologist at China’s Center for Disease Control, said Thursday that China has always …

Lack of info on China's COVID-19 surge stirs global concern
1 year, 11 months ago

Lack of info on China's COVID-19 surge stirs global concern

The Hindu  

Moves by several countries to mandate COVID-19 tests for passengers arriving from China reflect global concern that new variants could emerge in its ongoing explosive outbreak — and that the government may not inform the rest of the world quickly enough. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin noted Thursday that many countries have not changed their policies for travelers from …

China Covid surge: As Beijing relaxes travel curbs, all eyes on overburdened health infra
1 year, 11 months ago

China Covid surge: As Beijing relaxes travel curbs, all eyes on overburdened health infra

India Today  

As China moves to reopen borders, millions isolated in the country for over three years now have welcomed the decision with an outpouring of joy and relief. Searches for popular destinations increased tenfold within minutes of the announcement, with several searching for outbound group tours during the Lunar New Year holiday season in late January. However, the decision to relax …

Xi Jinping urges steps to ‘protect’ lives as China battles COVID wave
1 year, 11 months ago

Xi Jinping urges steps to ‘protect’ lives as China battles COVID wave

The Hindu  

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged officials on December 26 to take steps to protect lives in his first public remarks on COVID-19 since Beijing dramatically loosened hardline containment measures this month. "At present, COVID-19 prevention and control in China are facing a new situation and new tasks," Mr. Jinping said in a directive, according to state broadcaster CCTV. fortify a …

Photos: How COVID roils small Chinese towns
2 years ago

Photos: How COVID roils small Chinese towns

Al Jazeera  

As China grapples with surging COVID-19 cases, emergency wards in small cities and towns southwest of the capital, Beijing, are overwhelmed. The towns and small cities in Baoding and Langfang prefectures, in central Hebei province, were the epicentre of one of China’s first outbreaks after the state loosened coronavirus controls in November and December. Experts have forecast between a million …

Elderly leave cities as COVID infections surge in China
2 years ago

Elderly leave cities as COVID infections surge in China

Al Jazeera  

Families tell of sending elderly relatives away from China’s cities amid reports of surging cases and deaths. Since authorities began lifting China’s strict COVID restrictions in early December, numerous reports have emerged of people falling sick with the virus, hospitals overwhelmed with patients, and the country’s crematoriums struggling to keep up with an influx of bodies arriving at their doors. …

China’s stretched health system braces for peak in COVID-19 infections
2 years ago

China’s stretched health system braces for peak in COVID-19 infections

The Hindu  

Nearly 37 million people in China may have been infected with COVID-19 on a single day this week, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing estimates from the government’s top health authority. China is expecting a peak in COVID-19 infections within a week, a health official said, with authorities predicting extra strain on the country's health system even as they downplay …

One-day tally of COVID cases in China hits 37 million: Report
2 years ago

One-day tally of COVID cases in China hits 37 million: Report

Al Jazeera  

Nearly 37 million people in China may have been infected with COVID-19 on a single day this week, the Bloomberg news agency has reported, citing minutes from an internal meeting of the country’s National Health Commission held on Wednesday. Concerns over official statistics On Thursday, health data firm Airfinity estimated that there are likely more than 5,000 daily deaths and …

Leaked notes from Chinese health officials estimate 250 million Covid-19 infections in December: reports
2 years ago

Leaked notes from Chinese health officials estimate 250 million Covid-19 infections in December: reports

CNN  

Hong Kong CNN — Almost 250 million people in China may have caught Covid-19 in the first 20 days of December, according to an internal estimate from the nation’s top health officials, Bloomberg News and the Financial Times reported Friday. How the NHC came up with the estimates cited by Bloomberg and the Financial Times is unclear, as China is …

China’s actual Covid numbers may be much higher than what’s reported: WHO
2 years ago

China’s actual Covid numbers may be much higher than what’s reported: WHO

Live Mint  

Covid numbers in China may be much more than what the official figures show, as per Mike Ryan, the emergencies director at the World Health Organization. More than any other nation, China possesses nine locally made Covid-19 vaccinations that are licensed for use. On December 21, despite China reporting no new Covid deaths in its increasing outbreak and facing criticism …

China limits how it defines COVID deaths in official count
2 years ago

China limits how it defines COVID deaths in official count

Associated Press  

ZHUOZHOU, China — China only counts deaths from pneumonia or respiratory failure in its official COVID-19 death toll, a Chinese health official said, a narrow definition that limits the number of deaths being reported as the virus surges following the easing of pandemic-related restrictions. Multiple people told the AP then that their elderly family members who tested positive for COVID-19 …

China says no new Covid deaths, but crematoriums ‘overwhelmed’ | Top points
2 years ago

China says no new Covid deaths, but crematoriums ‘overwhelmed’ | Top points

Hindustan Times  

While reports and social media posts claim that hospitals in China are struggling, pharmacy shelves have been stripped bare and many crematoriums are overwhelmed, China on Wednesday said “no one had died of Covid-19 the previous day”, after changing the criteria such that most virus deaths are no longer counted. Patients recover at a hospital in Zhuozhou city in northern …

WHO “very concerned” about reports of severe COVID in China
2 years ago

WHO “very concerned” about reports of severe COVID in China

Associated Press  

GENEVA — The head of the World Health Organization said the agency is “very concerned” about rising reports of severe coronavirus disease across China after the country largely abandoned its “zero COVID” policy, warning that its lagging vaccination rate could result in large numbers of vulnerable people getting infected. At a press briefing on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus …

Beijing facing spike in severe Covid cases, says leading respiratory expert
2 years ago

Beijing facing spike in severe Covid cases, says leading respiratory expert

Hindustan Times  

Beijing is likely to see an increase in severe Covid-19 cases over the next two weeks, a leading Chinese respiratory specialist warned on Tuesday, as the capital continues to battle rising infections following the abrupt withdrawal of stringent ‘zero-Covid’ policies in early December. Respiratory disease expert Wang Guangfa warned that medical infrastructure in Beijing faces “additional stress” and advised the …

10% of global population may be Covid infected in next 90 days, expert warns
2 years ago

10% of global population may be Covid infected in next 90 days, expert warns

Live Mint  

Covid cases in China have started surging at an alarming rate forcing the Xi Jinping-led government to rush to create hospitals, the the authorities eased the stringent curbs under the stringent 'Zero Covid policy' a couple of weeks ago. At such a time, epidemiologist and health economist Eric Feigl-Ding has said that China and the rest of the world are …

Over 60% population in China may be infected by Covid in 90 days: Top scientist
2 years ago

Over 60% population in China may be infected by Covid in 90 days: Top scientist

Hindustan Times  

China faces a massive surge of Covid-19 cases after the Xi Jinping government eased lockdown restrictions, resulting in hospitals in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai becoming overwhelmed. Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist and health economist, tweeted Monday warning that 'over 60 per cent of China's and 10 per cent of the Earth's population will likely be infected over the next …

China reports first coronavirus deaths since easing zero-COVID policy
2 years ago

China reports first coronavirus deaths since easing zero-COVID policy

Firstpost  

Official case numbers are widely considered unreliable following the end of mandatory mass testing, while fears are mounting of a wave of infections in poor rural areas during the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays Beijing: China on Monday reported its first deaths from Covid-19 since loosening its hardline containment policy, as hospitals and crematoriums struggle with outbreak authorities say is …

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