The recent rise in cases of covid in China is spreading fear and worry across the globe. Leaked documents reveal that China saw over 250 million cases in December. Read to know more about the ongoing crisis.
Covid in China: Cases rising every day
The National Health Commission (NHC) of China stated nearly 37 million people may have been infected by the virus on a single day this week. It makes the outbreak in the nation the largest in the globe. The single-day estimate was for December. However, only a little over 3,000 cases were noted in the official tally. Leaked internal meeting minutes of an NHC meeting on Wednesday revealed about 248 million people were infected with covid in China. This makes up about 18 percent of the total population.
If the documents are accurate, this rate of rising infection surpasses its previous record of four million cases in January 2022. However, the meeting minutes did not contain a discussion on death rates from the coronavirus. However, it cites Ma Xiaowei reiterating the new criteria for identifying Covid-19 deaths. Xiaowei is the head of the health commission. The new method is receiving heavy criticism from disease experts across the world. Xiaowei accentuated that only those dying from covid-induced pneumonia be included in the death tally for the virus.
New data on hospitalization missing!
Since the lifting of the zero-covid policy, the World Health Organization has not received new data regarding hospitalizations from the virus. The absence of updates is making experts wonder if the authorities are hiding information on the health crisis. As per a Reuters report, data from WHO’s weekly reports reveal a surge in hospitalization on December 7, after the restriction eased. However, hospitalization figures are missing in the subsequent reports.
Amidst the chaos in the nation, the Chinese government is also requisitioning medical supply production. Over a dozen pharmaceutical companies are tapped by officials to help secure key medicines. Additionally, 11 out of 42 testing kit makers are seized by the authorities. The move comes after citizens began turning to the black market for secure medicines such as Paxlovid.