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Employees in a medical equipment company in Xi'an pack Covid-19 antigen test kits Xinhua News Agency/PA Images

China reports almost 60,000 Covid-related deaths in a month

China has been widely accused of underreporting its number of coronavirus fatalities since the abandonment of its zero-Covid policy.

CHINA’S HEALTH AUTHORITIES have reported almost 60,000 Covid-related deaths in just over a month, the first major death toll released by the government since it loosened its virus restrictions in early December.

China has been widely accused of underreporting its number of coronavirus fatalities since the abandonment of its zero-Covid policy.

Only a few dozen deaths had been recorded officially in December before today’s announcement, despite evidence of crematoriums and hospitals being overrun.

But a National Health Commission (NHC) official said China had recorded 59,938 Covid-related deaths between 8 December, 2022, and 12 January.

The figure refers only to deaths recorded at medical facilities, with the total number likely to be higher.

The data includes 5,503 deaths caused by respiratory failure directly due to the virus, and 54,435 deaths caused by underlying conditions combined with Covid, Jiao Yahui, head of the NHC’s Bureau of Medical Administration, told a news conference.

Health officials insisted on Wednesday it was “not necessary” to dwell on the exact number.

Beijing revised its methodology for categorising Covid fatalities last month, saying it would count only those who die specifically of respiratory failure caused by the virus.

This was criticised by the World Health Organisation, which said the new definition was “too narrow”.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organisation was continuing to “ask China for more rapid, regular, reliable data on hospitalisation and deaths, as well as … viral sequencing”.

Beijing, however, has insisted it has been transparent with the international community about its data, urging the WHO to “uphold a scientific, objective and just position”.

Elderly at risk

Health officials said today that the average age of those who had died was 80.3 years, with more than 90 percent of fatalities above 65 years old.

Most suffered from underlying conditions, they said.

Millions of the elderly in China are not fully vaccinated, with President Xi Jinping’s government criticised for not prioritising immunisation campaigns among the country’s most vulnerable citizens.

Officials also suggested on Saturday that the peak of the current wave might have passed.

Just under 2.9 million patients visited fever clinics on 23 December, they said, but the figure had dropped to 477,000 nationwide on 12 January.

They said the number of severely ill patients in hospitals was still high but that the peak appeared to have been in early January.

The priority, they said, was to monitor the situation in rural areas and focus on early detection and treatment for the most vulnerable.

© AFP 2023

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    Mute Ciarán Masterson
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    Feb 12th 2018, 10:38 PM

    I’ve read it, read it, read it….

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    Mute Trevor W
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    Feb 12th 2018, 10:47 PM

    @Ciarán Masterson: hahaha. Well done

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    Mute Ciarán Masterson
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    Feb 12th 2018, 11:55 PM

    @Trevor W:

    Thank you.

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    Mute Emilio Butler
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    Feb 12th 2018, 10:21 PM

    A truly remarkable story, and nonfiction. I find it terribly sad, how extinction is under our noses

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    Mute Ron North
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    Feb 12th 2018, 11:01 PM

    I know how you feel little guy, I hope there is someone out there for both of us.

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    Mute Liberal Larry
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    Feb 12th 2018, 11:54 PM

    @Ron North: awh… (heartbreak emoji)

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    Mute Myk_Oval_Balls_nRyt
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    Feb 13th 2018, 6:18 PM

    @Ron North: Pizza will always be there for you Ron, Always**whispers**

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    Mute Paul Culligan
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    Feb 12th 2018, 11:27 PM

    Would you say that, if you put him back where you found him, he might know where the moths are hidin’. Just because we can’t find them, doesn’t mean Romeo can’t sniff them out. Mind you, he probably has Alzheimers by now.

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    Mute George Oscar Bluth
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    Feb 12th 2018, 10:35 PM

    Incredible yet the Bolivian tree lizard thrives on a diet of pigeons. It’s at the point where we need wave after wave of Chinese needle snake to prevent us from being overrun.

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    Mute Arthur Pewty
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    Feb 13th 2018, 1:21 AM

    and I thought I was lonely…..get this frog a mate!!!

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    Mute Mary Lyons
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    Feb 12th 2018, 11:51 PM

    I’m glad it’s not the same problem in the pond in my back garden! It’s a veritable love in at the moment!

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    Mute Jim Doherty
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    Feb 12th 2018, 10:57 PM

    Darn it, never thought I’d have so much in common with a frog, know how that little guy feels

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    Mute Jim Doherty
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    Feb 12th 2018, 10:58 PM

    @Jim Doherty: hmmm..that loses lot of its meaning without the emoticon attached!

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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Feb 12th 2018, 10:40 PM

    Damn… Hope he gets his hole before he croaks.

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    Mute Gary Byrnes
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    Feb 13th 2018, 3:39 AM

    Is there a link

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    Mute Pauliebhoy
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    Feb 12th 2018, 10:19 PM

    I’m sure there’s a willing female pig out there

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    Mute Oretani Wildlife
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    Feb 12th 2018, 11:12 PM

    More crap editing from the Journal. The picture is probably a European Tree Frog and is nothing like the frog the story is about.

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    Mute Oretani Wildlife
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    Feb 12th 2018, 11:19 PM

    @Oretani Wildlife: Correction, it’s a Hipsiboas riojanus, endemic to Argentina. Still crap editing.

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    Mute Joe Conlon
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    Feb 12th 2018, 11:23 PM

    @Oretani Wildlife: hop along Oretani

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    Mute Red hurley
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    Feb 13th 2018, 7:48 AM

    Mmmmmmmmm frogs legs in garlic.

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    Mute Joseph Blocks
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    Feb 12th 2018, 10:55 PM

    What’s the fuss? Frogs can change sex anyway. He can impregnate himself.

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    Mute Dae Monicus
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    Feb 12th 2018, 11:42 PM

    @Joseph Blocks: Interesting fact that Joseph, if only Kermit knew that when Miss Piggy finally told him to go f@#k himself he wouldn’t be such an emotional wreck.

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