17/04/2022
China has come under fire once more as the number of covid-19 cases in the country has risen, obfuscating the true number of deaths caused by the virus for a variety of reasons.
According to Taiwan News, which cited the Financial Times, Chinese authorities are concealing the true number of deaths caused by covid-19 if the patient also had another chronic disease at the time of death.
For example, if the patient died as a result of cancer, heart disease, or diabetes, the cause of death would be classified as a chronic illness rather than covid. Jin Dong-yan, a virologist at Hong Kong University, confirmed the flawed methodology, according to the news agency ANI.
"The numbers are not accurate, but Shanghai hospitals are not necessarily doing this on purpose. From the start, China had this method of recording deaths," Dr Jin said.
As per Taiwan News, “the country has recorded a mere two deaths from more than 443,000 cases since March 1, both of which occurred in Jilin - a province bordering North Korea. Yet, according to a report, several people directly informed the Financial Times directly that their relatives in Shanghai had passed away after contracting the disease.”
The discrepancy in reporting stems from how Chinese authorities classify deaths. Experts told the Financial Times that this method of recording deaths is concealing the true death toll of the latest Omicron wave that has strangled the country.
Meanwhile, official underreporting has exposed China to international scrutiny, as did its mismanagement of the virus when it was first detected in Wuhan province in late 2019.
On the other hand, as the unrest spreads from Shanghai to the rest of the country, the Chinese people are dissatisfied with President Xi Jinping's policy of combating the virus.
At least 44 Chinese cities are currently under full or partial lockdown, causing supply lines to be disrupted as officials scramble to keep basic goods moving.