- China‘s choice to abandon its rigorous COVID-19 rule may have caused an additional 2 million deaths in 2 months.
- According to the study, 1.87 million more deaths from all causes among adults over 30.
- At the end of 2022, China stopped publishing its official daily death statistics.
- WHO: 121,628 COVID-19 fatalities have occurred in China, out of a total of over 7 million worldwide.
According to a recent U.S. study, China’s choice to abandon its rigorous COVID-19 rule may have caused an additional 2 million deaths in the two months that followed.
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle conducted the study, which revealed an anticipated 1.87 million more deaths from all causes among adults over 30 between December 2022 and January 2023, with Tibet being the exception.
COVID-19 in China
Health experts claim that the government underreported many hospital admissions and fatalities after China decided to discontinue the three-year zero-COVID program, which involved mass testing and strict quarantine lockdowns.
A month after the zero-COVID policy was abandoned, the official Chinese government estimated that 60,000 persons with COVID-19 had passed away in hospitals. However, the actual number of excess deaths was significantly higher.
The study employed statistical analysis with data from searches on Baidu, a well-known Chinese internet search engine, and information from published obituaries.
As reports of growing hospitalizations and deaths began to surface, global health experts urged China to release more information, particularly as the threat of new variations gained attention.
At the end of 2022, China stopped publishing its official daily death statistics. According to the World Health Organization, 121,628 COVID-19 fatalities have occurred in China, out of a total of over 7 million worldwide.
The current prevalent strain in China, according to officials, is a novel Omicron variation known as EG.5, also known as “Eris,” named after the Greek Goddess of strife and discord.
