China hiding Covid deaths? Health official reveals how Xi Jinping govt is counting deaths amid surge

China might be under-reporting deaths due to Covid, even as the country grapples with a severe wave of infections.

China only adds deaths to its Covid tally if they have occurred due to pneumonia or respiratory failure, while patients with pre-existing illnesses are excluded from the official count.

This was revealed by Wang Guiqiang, the head of infectious disease at Peking University's No. 1 Hospital.

On 21 December 2022, China did not report any new deaths due to Covid even as a surge in infections has led to alarm in other countries, including India.

Also watch: WHO chief: urge Beijing to provide detailed information about the severity of covid situation

The clarification of how China officially records COVID-19 deaths comes as cases have soared across the country amid the loosening of restrictions. Yet the overall count remains blurry, as China has stopped requiring daily PCR tests and many people are testing at home. Anecdotally, many people have fallen ill in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

WHO emergencies chief Dr. Michael suggested China's definition of Covid-19 deaths was too narrow.

(With agency inputs)