Amid the Covid surge in China, the lack of data on the details of the cases and situation in the country is raising serious concerns among health experts. Though the World Health Organisation (WHO) had asked China to reveal the records and exact numbers of the cases, so far WHO has not received any data on new Covcid-19 hospitalisations since Beijing lifted its zero Covid policy.
There are serious doubts being raised by health experts on whether the authorities are hiding the information.
Meanwhile, the WHO has said gaps in data might be due to Chinese authorities simply struggling to tally cases, reported Reuters.
WHO's weekly reports showed rising hospitalisations for Covid-19 in China running up to Beijing's December 7 decision to ease restrictions on movement that were meant to stamp out any transmission of the virus but which prompted extraordinary public protests hobbled the world's second-largest economy, reported Reuters.
According to WHO, in China highest number of cases reported was on December 4 with 28,859 cases since three years ago when the first case was reported. However, the figures have been absent in the last two reports, reported Reuters.
"What it tells me is that China is hiding data that are vital for understanding the full impact of its decision to end its zero Covid strategies," Lawrence Gostin, a law professor at Georgetown University has told Reuters.
Meanwhile, according to experts, the situation will worsen in the coming weeks. Within a week the Covid cases will peak, say experts.
US raises concerns
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised concern over the surging Covid cases in China.
Urging China to share information on its Covid outbreak he said, "We want to see China get this outbreak (Covid-19) under control...It's important for all countries including China to vaccinate their people, making testing and treatment available and share information with the world about what they are experiencing."