China Faces Growing Distrust in Statistical Data... "Many Signs of Omissions Everywhere"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Sunmi Park] Amid a surge in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths announced by Chinese health authorities within a single day, distrust is spreading over significant omissions in the reported statistics of confirmed cases and deaths.

On the 13th, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, "Many people have died with suspected COVID-19 symptoms, but they were not included in the official confirmed case and death statistics released by the government," citing the case of a patient recently classified as a suspected case who died but was not recorded in the official statistics.

A 63-year-old man from Wuhan City, who was generally in good health, began showing symptoms of cough and fever two weeks ago and eventually died. His name was not on the list of confirmed cases and deaths announced by the government on January 21, the day he died. His cause of death was recorded as 'severe pneumonia,' not COVID-19. His family explained that although he showed suspicious symptoms, he was not tested for COVID-19 by medical staff and was only informed that his symptoms resembled those of COVID-19.

The overwhelming influx of patients at hospitals in Hubei Province, where the outbreak is concentrated, and the severe shortage of diagnostic kits to identify confirmed cases are also cited as reasons behind the omissions in the statistics. Local doctor Wei Feng explained that despite the shortage of COVID-19 diagnostic kits, doctors are prohibited from classifying patients as confirmed cases based solely on suspected symptoms without a definitive diagnosis. He added that even recording 'pneumonia' as the cause of death when multiple symptoms appeared was forbidden, and instead, doctors were encouraged to list diabetes or abnormalities in other organs.

Concerns are also mounting over the reliability of the diagnostic kits that are available. On the 5th, Wang Qian, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, stated in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) that "the accuracy of diagnostic kits is only about 30 to 50%." Additionally, some patients reportedly died at home without going to hospitals due to regional lockdowns and lack of hospital facilities despite having COVID-19 symptoms, thus not being included in the government's official statistics.

The heavy workload on medical staff in the Wuhan area, where the outbreak is concentrated, also contributes to the omissions in the statistics, as medical personnel are unable to verify each patient's confirmed status individually.

Medical staff in Wuhan are treating thousands of patients weekly under severe shortages of medical equipment and brutal working conditions. There are testimonies from doctors who wear diapers because they have no time to use the restroom during shifts, and over 500 medical workers have been infected with the virus. However, the situation is so dire that the government has reportedly concealed these facts under official orders.

Recently, Guo Wengui, a Chinese real estate tycoon who has exposed government corruption, appeared on the internet broadcast "War Room," hosted by Steve Bannon, former chief strategist to President Trump, and revealed that the number of COVID-19 deaths in China exceeds 50,000 and confirmed cases reach 1.5 million, causing a stir.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.