Covid-related deaths in China could reach 36,000 a day during the Lunar New Year holiday beginning this weekend due to the mass displacement of millions of people being reunited with their families of origin. This is the estimate that emerges from the updated analysis by British research firm Airfinity, which is 11,000 units heavier than the 25,000 units assumed on December 29 in relation to the period when the infection is most at risk, after Beijing decided , which suddenly ended a month ago the draconian policy of “zero tolerance” towards Covid.
Airfinity said it had raised its death forecasts both because of the speed at which the infection was spreading and because of the lack of clear information about the true situation of the pandemic in the world’s most populous nation. The update also draws on data provided by provinces combined with rates observed in other countries after virus containment restrictions were lifted, the London-based research firm said.
On Saturday, China provided some data for the first time since the Covid wave that started early last month: 59,938 deaths between Dec. 8, 2022 and Jan. 12, 2023 related to the virus, Jiao told a news conference Yahui, head the Medical Administration Office of the National Health Commission, regarding the situation recorded in the hospitals. Only 5,503 were the deaths from respiratory failure provoked by the infection and therefore calculable in general statistics, while the remaining 54,435 were considered deaths related to Covid but in the presence of chronic pathologies such as cancer or cardiovascular diseases.
The average age of the deceased was 80.3 years old, according to Chinese media, and 90% were 65 years old or older. Beijing has come under the crosshairs of the international community due to the lack of transparency surrounding the recent outbreak, which has led to reports of overcrowded hospitals and funeral homes across the country and at operational borders. Many countries have also imposed restrictions on travelers from China, urging Beijing to share more data with the rest of the world. However, China’s Foreign Ministry said the United States – which has been commended by the WHO for the information provided so far – is also under pressure to share its data on the distribution of the subvariant Omicron XBB.1.5, which is considered highly contagious, in a timely manner.
REPRODUCTION RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
]]>
Get the embed code
]]>