Evidence China understating death statistics

[mindlight]

Is there any evidence that China has understated its death statistics. Why are they lying about this?

China coronavirus cases may have been four times official figure, says study

 

[solid_core]

Is there any evidence that China has understated its death statistics. Why are they lying about this?

China coronavirus cases may have been four times official figure, says study

Deception has generally two possible reasons:
a) gaining an advantage
b) being ashamed

 

[essentialsaltes]

I don't know of any definitive evidence, but it certainly has happened before with SARS 20 years ago.

Chinese authorities have previously admitted to only 44 cases and four fatalities in Beijing, but came clean last night after weeks of intense pressure from the World Health Organisation.

China's health ministry said the nationwide death toll from SARS stood at 79, with 1807 confirmed cases. Previously, the national figures were reported as 67, and 1500 respectively.

In Beijing, doctors revealed they had been ordered by authorities to hide SARS patients from WHO officials in an attempt to downplay the extent of the epidemic.

 

[solid_core]

I don't know of any definitive evidence, but it certainly has happened before with SARS 20 years ago.

Chinese authorities have previously admitted to only 44 cases and four fatalities in Beijing, but came clean last night after weeks of intense pressure from the World Health Organisation.

China's health ministry said the nationwide death toll from SARS stood at 79, with 1807 confirmed cases. Previously, the national figures were reported as 67, and 1500 respectively.

In Beijing, doctors revealed they had been ordered by authorities to hide SARS patients from WHO officials in an attempt to downplay the extent of the epidemic.

Somebody should already tell them that not everything that moves is suitable for eating.

 

[mala]

Is there any evidence that China has understated its death statistics. Why are they lying about this?

China coronavirus cases may have been four times official figure, says study

they have a lot of people to spare.

 

[mindlight]

Deception has generally two possible reasons:
a) gaining an advantage
b) being ashamed

The respect thing is big in Asian cultures generally. Local officials do not want to look bad to their higher ups or to their competition for the same positions.... But not sure they gain any advantage by not being trustworthy and transparent about the numbers. There are massive pile of Urns in Wuhan mortuaries and the number of mobile phone contracts in China over the last few months has plummeted by millions. It just looks like they are lying and that is not good for their image.

 

[mindlight]

I don't know of any definitive evidence, but it certainly has happened before with SARS 20 years ago.

Chinese authorities have previously admitted to only 44 cases and four fatalities in Beijing, but came clean last night after weeks of intense pressure from the World Health Organisation.

China's health ministry said the nationwide death toll from SARS stood at 79, with 1807 confirmed cases. Previously, the national figures were reported as 67, and 1500 respectively.

In Beijing, doctors revealed they had been ordered by authorities to hide SARS patients from WHO officials in an attempt to downplay the extent of the epidemic.

It is a culture where deception is endemic and the way higher ups perceive you is more important than the reality of your situation. But that kind of mentality cannot work with disease where a ruthless honesty is required no matter the personal cost.

 

[mindlight]

Somebody should already tell them that not everything that moves is suitable for eating.

I have been listening to TWIV podcasts and Christian Drosten here in Germany. This is definitely a bat disease, all the credible scientists agree on that. But whether it originated in the Wuhan wet market in early December or months before in some bat cave in the South of China visited by a Wuhan trader remains mysterious. One idea is that a man walks into a cave saturated with bat faeces and caught it that way. Then on his return to Wuhan he infected others.

 

[mindlight]

they have a lot of people to spare.

Even if you quadruple the official stats they are doing better than many European countries so why lie about the numbers. Chinese officials may not have much regard for a single human life but their reputation as a country in which this disease originated does require honest transparency.