BEIJING (AP) — Chinese health authorities on Monday announced two additional covid-19 deaths, both in the capital Beijing, that were the first reported in weeks and come during an expected surge of illnesses after the nation eased its strict “zero-covid” approach.
China had not reported a death from covid-19 since Dec. 4, even though unofficial reports of a new wave of cases are widespread. With the latest reported deaths, the National Health Commission raised China’s total to 5,237 deaths from covid-19 in the past three years, out of 380,453 cases of illness — numbers that are much lower than in other major countries but also based on statistics and information-gathering methods that have come into question.
Chinese health authorities count only those who died directly from covid-19, excluding people whose underlying conditions such as diabetes and heart disease were worsened by the virus. In many other countries, guidelines stipulate that any death where the coronavirus is a factor or contributor is counted as a covid-19-related death. The announcement comes amid testimony from family members and people who work in the funeral business who did not want to be identified for fear of retribution saying deaths tied to covid-19 were increasing.
Editor’s Note: Let’s put death toll numbers in perspective. In December 2021, newly released Pfizer document exposed FDA cover-up of vaccine related deaths in early 2021. The report showed 1,223 deaths and over 158,893 adverse reactions. Let’s check priorities: in 2021 over 71,000 people died in the U.S. alone from fentanyl. — mmd