China urges WHO to be ‘impartial’ after criticism of its data on COVID-19 outbreak

China on Thursday urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to take a “non-partisan” stance on COVID-19 after the organization criticized Beijing’s epidemic balance sheet.

In early December, the country lifted most of its stringent coronavirus measures without warning, which have allowed its population to be widely protected from 2020.

Chinese hospitals are overwhelmed with patients, most of them elderly, crematoria are full, and many pharmacies are short of antipyretics.

However, authorities report a very small number of deaths related to COVID-19after an ambiguous change in the method of counting victims.

Currently, only people who die directly from coronavirus-related respiratory failure are included in the statistics. This change in methodology means that a large number of deaths will no longer be recorded as being due to COVID-19.

An adjustment that does not reflect the situation for many experts and World Health Organization.

“We think this definition is too narrow,” says Dr. Michael Ryan, head of the Health Emergencies Division. WHO. “Current data published China underestimate the real impact of the disease in terms of hospitalizations, intensive care admissions and especially in terms of mortality,” he said.

“We hope that WHO maintain a science-based, objective and impartial stance and play an active role in the global response to the challenges of the epidemic,” Mao Ning, spokeswoman for Chinese diplomacy, said in Beijing on Thursday.

Since the start of the pandemic China He opposes anything that he sees as politicizing the health crisis.

Faster, more regular and reliable data

Since the beginning of the epidemic China openly and transparently shares reliable information and data with the international community,” the spokesman said.

Chinawith a population of 1,400 million inhabitants, only 23 deaths were recorded due to COVID-19 since December, despite an unprecedented wave of pollution in the country over the past three years.

“We keep asking China more timely, regular and reliable data on hospitalizations and deaths, as well as more complete real-time sequencing of the virus,” said the CEO WHOTedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Despite the outbreak of the epidemic in Chinaauthorities will lift mandatory quarantines on arrival in China and again allow the Chinese to travel abroad.

border between Hong Kong and China The mainland, practically closed for almost three years, will reopen to travelers from Sunday.

As a precaution, the US and a dozen other countries have announced they will require negative tests for passengers arriving from China.

WHO reiterated its support for these tests.

Starting this Thursday, the United States requires a negative Covid test upon entry, which is mandatory 48 hours prior to departure. China.

A similar measure was taken by France, Italy, Germany and Spain. Thailand, for its part, chose not to do so.

This week, the European Union “strongly urged” its member states to introduce a test conducted in China before the flight and “urged” Twenty-seven to take a negative “random test” test upon arrival in Europe.

On Tuesday, Beijing condemned the introduction of coronavirus tests by some countries, calling them “unacceptable” and threatening “countermeasures.”

(According to AFP)

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