Since China abruptly ended its zero-COVID policy in early December, nearly 60,000 people with COVID have died in hospitals.
A significant increase over previously reported figures, as a result of global criticism of the country’s coronavirus data.
Between December 8 and January 12, there were 59,938 COVID-related deaths in Chinese hospitals, with a mean age of 80.3 among the deceased. Jiao Yahui, a National Health Commission (NHC) official, stated at a press conference on Saturday.
90.1% of the patients who died were 65 or older. Despite the numbers, Jiao claims that COVID fever and emergency hospitalizations in China have peaked. Furthermore, the number of COVID patients admitted to hospitals is decreasing.
“The ratio of people tested positive at fever clinics is also declining steadily, peaking at 33.9% on Dec.20, and is down to 10.8% on Jan. 12. This trend indicates that the peak of fever clinics has passed.”
Over the previous month, authorities had reported five or fewer deaths per day.
Figures that appear to contradict the long lines seen at funeral homes and body bags seen leaving overcrowded hospitals.
While international health experts predict at least 1 million COVID-related deaths this year, China has reported just over 5,000 deaths since the pandemic began, one of the world’s lowest death rates.
Authorities had been reporting five or fewer deaths per day for the past month, despite long lines at funeral homes and body bags leaving overcrowded hospitals.
The World Health Organization said this week that China was significantly underreporting Covid deaths, despite now providing more information on the outbreak. On Saturday, the UN agency did not respond immediately.
China, which last reported daily Covid death figures on Monday, has defended the veracity of its disease data on numerous occasions.
According to Jiao, China divides Covid-related deaths into two categories: respiratory failure caused by coronavirus infection and underlying disease combined with coronavirus infection.
“The standard is basically in line with those adopted by the World Health Organisation and other major countries,” she said.
At a government news conference last month, a Chinese health expert stated that only deaths caused by pneumonia and respiratory failure after contracting Covid would be classified as Covid deaths. Heart attacks or cardiovascular disease that kills infected people would not be classified as such.
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