The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that China is heavily underreporting COVID stats while making them more readily available. Read to know more.WHO still believes that deaths are heavily underreported in China.
WHO claims China is underreporting COVID deaths
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday revealed China is doing a better job at making COVID-19 stats more readily available. However, it is heavily under-reporting COVID stats relead to deaths caused by it. As per the health authority, China is trying to hide the real impact of the virus in the nation. Moreover, over the last few weeks, Beijing lifted its strict zero-covid policy. Following this, it also removed travel restrictions in the nation.
“WHO still believes that deaths are heavily underreported in China. We still do not have adequate information to make a fully comprehensive risk assessment,” stated Michael Ryan. Ryan is the emergency director at WHO. Additionally, he blames the parameter China is using to classify the death as a result of covid as not a good standard. He also emphasized the “need for doctors in the public health system to be encouraged to report these cases, and not discouraged”.
How is this happening?
For the past month, China has been reporting about four to five every day. However, the numbers are not consistent with the long lines seen outside funeral homes and hospitals. Experts are predicting a minim of one million covid-related deaths in China this year. However, as of now, China reported just a little over 5,000 as per the official covid stats. Confusion is arising as the official stats only reveal some casualties.
Ryan also compared the stances of China with that of the US. The latter had a higher level of transparency, even during the recent Omicron sub-variant cases. “There’s been radical transparency on behalf of the United States in terms of engaging with the WHO regarding the data and the impact of that data. In the absence of data, countries have made a decision to take a precautionary approach and (WHO has) said that that is understandable in the circumstances,” he added.