Doubts over China Covid data

Weeks after China abandoned its strict Covid Zero regime, doubts are growing about the reliability of its official Covid figures, raising fears that new variants could emerge unchecked


China has narrowed definition of Covid death:
Included – pneumonia, respiratory failure
Excluded – heart attack, cardiovascular disease


Infection rates (amateur estimates)

CHINA

Chongqing 29%

Wuhan
Pandemic emerges late 2019

Guangzhou 16%

Beijing 39-45%

Shanghai: 11%

400km 250 miles


Cities across
China rushing to
install hospital beds and fever clinics. Pharmacies emptied of medicines


NEW DAILY CASES, 2022 (000s) 				DAILY DEATHS
Reported to WHO

Hong Kong
Deaths 
Cases

China
Shanghai outbreak 
Cases: 29,520 
Deaths: 71

China
Nov 29: 71,310 cases
No corresponding spike in deaths: 7

70 
60						200
50 
40 
30 						100
20 
10
0
	Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec


Sources: WHO, Reuters, Bloomberg, Our World in Data
© GRAPHIC NEWS