As crematoriums fill up, China shifts how it counts Covid deaths
2 years ago

As crematoriums fill up, China shifts how it counts Covid deaths

CNN  

Beijing CNN — For much of the pandemic, images of overflowing hospitals and busy funeral homes from the United States have featured heavily on China’s state-controlled television, where the deaths of over a million Americans from Covid is depicted as a gross failing of Western democracy. But as China abruptly abandoned that strategy, with little warning or apparent preparation, the prospect of surging deaths – projected by some studies to be as high as one million – has become a thorny issue for a government that staked its legitimacy on “saving lives.” Officially, China reported only eight Covid deaths this month – a strikingly low figure given the rapid spread of the virus and the relatively low vaccine booster rates among the vulnerable elderly. Commenting on China’s criteria of counting Covid deaths on Wednesday, the World Health Organization’s emergencies chief Michael Ryan said the definition was “quite narrow.” “People who die of Covid die from many different systems’ failures, given the severity of infection,” Ryan said. According to Jin, these inconsistencies reveal China’s method of counting Covid deaths to be “entirely subjective.” “The death data has been misleading from the start,” he said. Most countries, including the United States, decided it’s too difficult to evaluate every single death to know whether Covid was a factor, and counted deaths with Covid in their official death tolls, Cowling said.

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History of this topic

China marks muted 5th anniversary of first Covid death
4 days, 22 hours ago

China marks muted 5th anniversary of first Covid death

The Hindu  

The fifth anniversary of the first known death from Covid-19 passed seemingly unnoticed in China on Saturday, with no official remembrances in a country where the pandemic is a taboo subject. There was also little online commemoration in Hong Kong, where Beijing largely snuffed out opposition voices when it imposed a sweeping national security law on the semi-autonomous city in …

Is there an epidemic brewing in China?
2 weeks ago

Is there an epidemic brewing in China?

India Today  

Social media platforms have been inundated with alarming claims about a new epidemic spreading across China. Users are sharing videos showing overcrowded hospitals and suggesting the rapid spread of multiple respiratory viruses, including Influenza A, HMPV, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and COVID-19. However, there is currently no credible evidence to support these claims, and official confirmation from health authorities remains absent. The …

‘Made in Wuhan, shipped by Beijing’: A story of how Communist Party of China gave world Covid-19 pandemic
2 weeks, 1 day ago

‘Made in Wuhan, shipped by Beijing’: A story of how Communist Party of China gave world Covid-19 pandemic

Firstpost  

If it were not for the actions of the Chinese regime, the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan would have never turned into a global pandemic that killed millions, experts are increasingly reaching this conclusion. Two days before Shi’s paper, a separate team of Chinese scientists had reported in another paper that a virus found in Yunnan, BtCoV/4991, had a 98.7 per …

‘Moral imperative’: WHO presses China to share COVID origins data
2 weeks, 2 days ago

‘Moral imperative’: WHO presses China to share COVID origins data

Al Jazeera  

Beijing insists it has shared information on the coronavirus ‘without holding anything back’. “Without transparency, sharing, and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics.” The WHO recounted how on December 31, 2019, its country office in China picked up a media statement from health authorities in the central city of Wuhan concerning …

COVID-19 infections not problematic, experts say
5 months ago

COVID-19 infections not problematic, experts say

China Daily  

The number of people in China being infected with COVID-19 is fluctuating reasonably and won't be a burden on medical resources or the public, experts said. However, the National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases said the percentage of people catching flu and testing positive for COVID-19 rose from 8.9 percent in early July to 18.7 percent late last month. "COVID-19 …

China stands alone in its attitude towards the pandemic
11 months, 1 week ago

China stands alone in its attitude towards the pandemic

Hindustan Times  

The omicron variant of COVID-19 poses enormous challenges for governments. In America, cases are at three times their previous peak in January 2021, hospitals are as busy as they have ever been and deaths have risen by 40% in two weeks to 1,800 per day. Covid In China: Security guards wearing personal protective equipment amid the Covid-19 pandemic sit at …

China’s Population Decline Accelerated Last Year
11 months, 4 weeks ago

China’s Population Decline Accelerated Last Year

Live Mint  

China’s population decline accelerated last year, worsening a demographic gloom that has taken on increasing urgency for Beijing. China ended 2023 with 1.410 billion people, the National Bureau of Statistics said Wednesday, down from 1.412 billion in 2022, when it hit a historic turning point: the first year the population shrank since starvation years in the early 1960s. Another possible …

Nearly 10,000 COVID deaths reported globally last month, fueled by holiday gatherings and new variant
1 year ago

Nearly 10,000 COVID deaths reported globally last month, fueled by holiday gatherings and new variant

LA Times  

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, speaks at a news conference in Geneva last year. The head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday that holiday gatherings and the spread of the most prominent coronavirus variant globally led to increased transmission of COVID-19 last month. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said nearly 10,000 deaths were reported in December, …

Scientists see risk of lost opportunity for long COVID research in China
1 year, 1 month ago

Scientists see risk of lost opportunity for long COVID research in China

The Hindu  

With more than a full year past since China eased restrictions and let COVID-19 sweep its households, scientists are worried a unique opportunity may be slipping away to study long COVID from possibly hundreds of millions of infections in that country. China's rare circumstances - relying on home-grown vaccines and mostly avoiding COVID until late in the pandemic - could, …

‘Not by novel virus’: What China said on ‘mysterious pneumonia’
1 year, 1 month ago

‘Not by novel virus’: What China said on ‘mysterious pneumonia’

Hindustan Times  

A pneumonia outbreak in China has alerted the world including the World Health Organization which sought more information about the situation from the country. Medical staff in protective suits treat a patient with pneumonia On Sunday, China's health ministry asked local authorities to increase the number of fever clinics amid the latest crisis. "Efforts should be made to increase the …

Chinese hospitals ‘overwhelmed with sick children’ after surge in respiratory illness
1 year, 1 month ago

Chinese hospitals ‘overwhelmed with sick children’ after surge in respiratory illness

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. Read our privacy policy China insists it has not …

No ‘unusual’ virus behind rising Pneumonia cases China has clarified, reveals WHO
1 year, 1 month ago

No ‘unusual’ virus behind rising Pneumonia cases China has clarified, reveals WHO

Firstpost  

Since mid-October 2023, the World Health Organization has been monitoring data from Chinese surveillance systems showing an increase in respiratory illness in children in northern China China has reiterated that no unusual or new pathogens have been detected in the upsurge in child respiratory illnesses in the north, the WHO said on Thursday after putting pressure on Beijing for detailed …

China's pneumonia scare: Transparency please
1 year, 1 month ago

China's pneumonia scare: Transparency please

Live Mint  

China, where covid broke out in November 2019, is in the spotlight again. The World Health Organization has asked the country for details on an increase in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children. In a recent statement, the WHO noted an increase in influenza-like ailments compared to the same autumn of the past three years in China’s …

Spike in illnesses isn’t a new pathogen, China reassures WHO
1 year, 1 month ago

Spike in illnesses isn’t a new pathogen, China reassures WHO

Salon  

An outbreak of respiratory illnesses in China has sparked alarm, but the sudden rise in sickness is not related to a new virus, according to Chinese health authorities. So far, the data suggests that there’s nothing out of the ordinary, but both the WHO and China have been criticized in the past for not being entirely transparent about the COVID-19 …

On China pneumonia outbreak, scientists caution to not press ‘pandemic panic button’
1 year, 1 month ago

On China pneumonia outbreak, scientists caution to not press ‘pandemic panic button’

Hindustan Times  

Leading scientists urged caution over fears of another pandemic on Thursday after the World Health Organization requested more information from China on a rise of respiratory illnesses and pneumonia clusters among children. The standard wording of the alert echoed the first-ever notice about what would become COVID-19, sent on Dec. 30 2019: "Undiagnosed pneumonia - China." "I am not going …

China says seasonal germs, rather than ‘unusual or novel pathogens,’ behind spike in pediatric respiratory illness, WHO says
1 year, 1 month ago

China says seasonal germs, rather than ‘unusual or novel pathogens,’ behind spike in pediatric respiratory illness, WHO says

CNN  

CNN — Chinese health authorities told the World Health Organization on Thursday that a spike in cases of children with pneumonia or respiratory illness in the northern part of the country stems from typical seasonal germs rather than any novel or unknown pathogen, the organization said. At Thursday’s teleconference, WHO said, the Chinese officials reported enhanced surveillance of respiratory illnesses …

What is the mysterious pneumonia outbreak in China?
1 year, 1 month ago

What is the mysterious pneumonia outbreak in China?

Al Jazeera  

The WHO has asked China for more information on the undiagnosed respiratory illness that has spiked since October 2023. As China experiences its first winter without strict COVID-19 restrictions since the outbreak of the pandemic three years ago, a wave of respiratory illnesses is sweeping across the country. On Wednesday, the WHO asked China to release information on the recent …

China on ALERT over likely COVID-19 relapse ahead of winter
1 year, 2 months ago

China on ALERT over likely COVID-19 relapse ahead of winter

India TV News  

COVID-19 alert: Ahead of the winter season, an alert has been sounded across China about the relapse of COVID-19 infections and experts have asked elderly and vulnerable populations to get vaccinated. The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention showed that a total of 209 new severe COVID-19 cases and 24 deaths caused by COVID-19 were reported across the country …

China Omits Cremation Data to Hide True Pandemic Death Toll following Lifting of Covid Zero
1 year, 6 months ago

China Omits Cremation Data to Hide True Pandemic Death Toll following Lifting of Covid Zero

News 18  

A Chinese quarterly report on marriage and social welfare for the fourth quarter of 2022 dropped the section highlighting the number of cremations held last winter, indicating that it withheld a key indicator of the pandemic death toll when China faced its largest wave of Covid-19 cases. If the data were released, the quarterly or year-on-year comparison could be used …

Large-scale COVID reemergence 'unlikely' despite uptick in cases
1 year, 7 months ago

Large-scale COVID reemergence 'unlikely' despite uptick in cases

China Daily  

China Daily| Updated :2023-05-19 The risk of a new large-scale COVID-19 outbreak in China in the short term is minimal, despite a recent uptick in new infections, according to health experts. Wang Liping, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a group interview that the recent increase in new cases is unlikely to overwhelm …

We need China’s cooperation to understand covid: former WHO chief scientist
1 year, 8 months ago

We need China’s cooperation to understand covid: former WHO chief scientist

Live Mint  

Cooperation from China, including access to sites, data, blood samples, and animal farms in the country, is required to determine the origin of the covid-19 virus, according to former World Health Organization chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan. Swaminathan emphasized the need to address long covid symptoms, particularly among those with high-risk conditions such as hypertension. During every covid wave, when people …

China to remain alert even as WHO declares COVID-19 global emergency over
1 year, 8 months ago

China to remain alert even as WHO declares COVID-19 global emergency over

Firstpost  

A top Chinese health official said that despite the World Health Organisation ending the worldwide emergency designation for COVID-19, the virus is still dangerous and China will continue to monitor it while boosting vaccination rates among high-risk groups. According to Liang Wannian, head of China’s COVID-19 response expert group under the National Health Commission, the warning status being lifted by …

Travellers no longer need to produce PCR Covid test to enter China
1 year, 8 months ago

Travellers no longer need to produce PCR Covid test to enter China

Hindustan Times  

Travellers entering China will no longer need to provide a negative PCR test result starting from Saturday, in another easing of China's “zero-COVID” policies. China covid: Travellers can instead show a negative antigen test result taken within 48 hours before boarding. Read here: China’s covid drugmakers' shares surge amid concern over new wave Travellers can instead show a negative antigen …

DC Edit | Covid isn't over, be cautious
1 year, 9 months ago

DC Edit | Covid isn't over, be cautious

Deccan Chronicle  

After lying low for quite some time, the Covid-19 virus has started rearing its head again in the country. The daily caseload which came down to two digits towards the end of the last year has of late been crossing 1,000; as per the health ministry data, India logged 1,300 new cases, the highest in 140 days, on Thursday while …

Beijing saw more deaths than births in 2022, fresh data reveals
1 year, 9 months ago

Beijing saw more deaths than births in 2022, fresh data reveals

Firstpost  

The decline, according to demographers, was consistent with national patterns and illustrated the economic and social factors that are driving China’s declining birthrate Beijing: Fresh demographic data released by the Chinese government has revealed that the population of the Chinese capital city has decreased for the first time in nearly 20 years. The Chinese city, which is home to over …

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 …

WHO accuses China of withholding information on origin of COVID-19
1 year, 9 months ago

WHO accuses China of withholding information on origin of COVID-19

The Hindu  

The World Health Organisation has accused China of withholding information and data that may throw light on the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, and has asked why such information was not shared three years ago. GISAID is a global science initiative and primary source established in 2008 that provides open access to genomic data of influenza viruses and the coronavirus …

U.S. to relax COVID testing rules for travelers from China as early as Friday
1 year, 10 months ago

U.S. to relax COVID testing rules for travelers from China as early as Friday

LA Times  

The Biden administration is preparing to relax COVID-19 testing restrictions for travelers from China as soon as Friday, according to two people familiar with the decision. The restrictions were put in place Dec. 28 and took effect Jan. 5 amid the surge in China after the government sharply eased pandemic restrictions and as U.S. health officials expressed concerns that their …

China says 200 million treated for COVID since November, pandemic ‘decisively’ beaten
1 year, 11 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 …

COVID-19 infections continue to decline in China
1 year, 11 months ago

COVID-19 infections continue to decline in China

China Daily  

People wearing masks walk on a street in Huai'an, Jiangsu province, Jan 21, 2023. The Chinese mainland reported over 80,000 COVID-19-related deaths at hospitals from Dec 8 to Feb 9, as the numbers of COVID-19 infections and deaths associated with the disease have been trending downward consistently this year, data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention show. …

No new Covid variants during recent breakout in China: Lancet study
1 year, 11 months ago

No new Covid variants during recent breakout in China: Lancet study

India Today  

New coronavirus variants did not emerge during the recent outbreak of cases in China, said a study published in the medical journal, The Lancet. Samples of 350 locally acquired infections and 63 imported cases were studied during a five-week period beginning in November 2022 - shortly after China abruptly overturned its strict zero-Covid policy. Further, China also administers inactivated whole …

China says Covid-19 deaths, severe cases have fallen over 70% since peak
1 year, 11 months ago

China says Covid-19 deaths, severe cases have fallen over 70% since peak

India Today  

Critically ill COVID-19 cases in China are down 72% from a peak early this month while daily deaths among COVID-19 patients in hospitals have dropped 79% from their peak, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday. The CDC said the number of critically ill patients in China peaked on Jan. 4 at 128,000 cases and fell to …

COVID-19 update: China faces challenge due to flawed containment policies, ineffective vaccines, says Report
1 year, 11 months ago

COVID-19 update: China faces challenge due to flawed containment policies, ineffective vaccines, says Report

India TV News  

China COVID-19 update : China is facing a significant challenge in the form of COVID-19, due to the Chinese Communist Party's "flawed and regressive containment policies and ineffective domestically produced vaccines," GeoPolitica.info reported. China's COVID-19 containment strategy has affected Chinese people and has caused major discontent among people in the country, as per the GeoPolitica.info report. Vaccines manufactured in China …

‘In Dec 2022, new Covid infections exceeded 70 lakhs per day’, says China
1 year, 11 months ago

‘In Dec 2022, new Covid infections exceeded 70 lakhs per day’, says China

Live Mint  

China Covid case update: The Chinese authorities have informed that the daily number of Covid cases in the east Asian country had hit a peak of 7 million reported cases per day during December last year. The figures published in China's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention website said, "around December 22, 2022, the number of infected people and the …

Coronavirus kills 46,278 people in NL as excess death rate falls
1 year, 11 months ago

Coronavirus kills 46,278 people in NL as excess death rate falls

Dutch News  

In total, 1,468 people died of coronavirus in the third quarter of last year, taking the total number of Covid deaths up to the end of September 2022 to 46,278, according to figures from national statistics agency CBS. The official death toll is 22,992, but this only includes people whose coronavirus infection was officially listed. The excess death figure is …

As schools are set to resume face-to-face classes in Hong Kong, mainland Chinese students face adjustment problems
1 year, 11 months ago

As schools are set to resume face-to-face classes in Hong Kong, mainland Chinese students face adjustment problems

Firstpost  

Parents and teachers have called for a range of support services for children who may face adjustment problems New Delhi: Thousands of children who live in mainland China and attend Hong Kong schools will return to their campuses for the first time in three years, parents and teachers of students said. According to a report in the South China Morning …

China: Over 12,000 people have died of Covid in 1 week, says govt data
1 year, 11 months ago

China: Over 12,000 people have died of Covid in 1 week, says govt data

Op India  

Chinese health authorities have said that more than 12,000 hospitalized people infected with COVID-19 died in seven days through Thursday, NHK World-Japan reported. Meanwhile, Wu Zunyou, the chief epidemiologist of China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention has claimed that about 80 per cent of China’s population has been infected with COVID-19, which is nearly eight in 10 people, CNN …

13,000 covid fatalities are reported in China in one week
1 year, 11 months ago

13,000 covid fatalities are reported in China in one week

Op India  

After a top health official stated that the vast majority of the Chinese populace has already been infected by the virus, China reported about 13,000 hospital fatalities linked to covid between January 13 and January 19 across the country. According to a statement released on Saturday by China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, over the course of the year, …

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 Reports 70% Rise In Weekly Covid Hospitalisation, Highest Since Pandemic Outbreak: WHO
1 year, 11 months ago

China Reports 70% Rise In Weekly Covid Hospitalisation, Highest Since Pandemic Outbreak: WHO

ABP News  

The World Health Organization’s weekly report on Thursday showed China reported a large jump in Covid-19 hospitalisations in the week up to January 15. This is the highest weekly figure China has recorded since the virus first emerged more than three years ago, the WHO noted, according to the news agency Reuters. However, the global body said it is still …

Fears for rural population in China as COVID-19 spreads in villages lacking health care
1 year, 11 months ago

Fears for rural population in China as COVID-19 spreads in villages lacking health care

ABC  

University student Daqing was in awe of how quiet her once-bustling rural village in eastern China had become. "The cost also climbed a lot as we have to hire more workers and it's holiday time," she said, speaking anonymously because COVID-19 deaths are a politically sensitive topic in China. "The gap in medical resources between urban and rural areas existed …

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 chicanery continues as doctors told not to cite Covid on death certificates – Firstpost
1 year, 11 months ago

China's chicanery continues as doctors told not to cite Covid on death certificates – Firstpost

Firstpost  

Beijing: Doctors in China have been instructed not to write Covid-induced respiratory failure on death certificates. Six doctors from public hospitals across China told Reuters that they have received similar oral instructions which discourage them to put Covid as the cause of death on certificates. “We have stopped classifying COVID deaths since the reopening in December,” a doctor at a …

West's false COVID narratives hold no water
1 year, 11 months ago

West's false COVID narratives hold no water

China Daily  

A woman receives a booster dose in Chaoyang district of Beijing on July 13, 2022. First, some say that China's COVID-19 death toll does not include those who died as a result of delayed or denied medical treatment because of strict COVID-19 control measures. However, China's excess mortality during the pandemic was a negative number, which means China's COVID-19 policy …

Opinion: In China’s countryside, a Covid-19 tsunami is brewing
1 year, 11 months ago

Opinion: In China’s countryside, a Covid-19 tsunami is brewing

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Yanzhong Huang is a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations and a professor at Seton Hall University School of Diplomacy and International Relations, specializing in Asia. An elderly rural population Is China’s rural healthcare system able to withstand skyrocketing Covid-19 cases? Is China’s rural healthcare system able to withstand skyrocketing Covid-19 cases? A …

China records 1st population fall in decades as births drop
1 year, 11 months ago

China records 1st population fall in decades as births drop

Associated Press  

BEIJING — China’s population shrank for the first time in decades last year as its birthrate plunged, official figures showed Tuesday, adding to pressure on leaders to keep the economy growing despite an aging workforce and at a time of rising tension with the U.S. Despite the official numbers, some experts believe China’s population has been in decline for a …

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 …

Chinese city-dwellers head to hometowns as holidays raise Covid stakes
2 years ago

Chinese city-dwellers head to hometowns as holidays raise Covid stakes

India Today  

Passengers laden with luggage flocked to rail stations and airports in China's megacities on Monday, heading to their hometowns for the Lunar New Year holidays that health experts fear could intensify a raging Covid-19 outbreak in areas less equipped to handle it. As well as fever drugs and oxygen supplies, China's National Health Commission has said it would equip every …

WHO recognizes China’s accounting of 60,000 covid deaths
2 years ago

WHO recognizes China’s accounting of 60,000 covid deaths

Live Mint  

The World Health Organization expressed appreciation for China’s sharing of Covid-19 data after Beijing reported around 60,000 Covid-related deaths over the past month, providing the first major accounting of the death toll since the country lifted pandemic restrictions. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke Saturday with the director of China’s National Health Commission, Ma Xiaowei, a conversation during which …

WHO appeals to China to release more COVID-19 information
2 years ago

WHO appeals to China to release more COVID-19 information

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. Read our privacy policy The World Health Organization has …

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