China only counts deaths from pneumonia or respiratory failure in its official COVID-19 death toll, a Chinese health official said, a narrow definition that limits the number of deaths being reported as the virus surges following the easing of pandemic-related restrictions.
Deaths that occur in patients with pre-existing illnesses are not counted as COVID-19 deaths, said Wang Guiqiang, the head of infectious disease at Peking University's No. 1 Hospital.
China has always been conservative in how it counts illnesses, whether the flu or COVID-19. In most countries, including the United States, guidelines stipulate that any death in which COVID-19 is a factor or contributor is counted as a COVID-19-related death.
In effect, Wang's comments on Tuesday clarified publicly what the country has been doing throughout the pandemic.
On Wednesday, China reported no new COVID-19 deaths and subtracted one death from its overall toll, lowering it to 5,241, according to a daily tally issued by the National Health Commission, which did not explain the decrease.
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.
"People who die of COVID die from many different (organ) systems' failures, given the severity of infection," Ryan said at a media briefing Wednesday. "So limiting a diagnosis of death from COVID to someone with a COVID positive test and respiratory failure will very much underestimate the true death toll associated with COVID."
Earlier this year, Shanghai was hit by an omicron-driven outbreak. Multiple people told the AP then that their elderly family members who tested positive for COVID-19 and died were not counted in the city's official death toll. When patients had underlying diseases, the deaths were attributed to those.
An AP investigation then showed that numbers have been clouded by the way health authorities tally COVID-19 statistics, applying a much narrower, less transparent and at times shifting standard, as Shanghai changed how it defined positive cases.
That narrower criteria means that China's COVID-19 death toll will always be significantly lower than those of many other nations.
An Associated Press reporter saw multiple bodies being wheeled out of funeral homes in Beijing last week, and two relatives said their loved ones had died after testing positive for COVID-19. Last week, however, the country did not report any deaths due to COVID-19.
Medical resources in smaller cities and rural communities, which are home to about 500 million of China's 1.4 billion people, lag far behind those of large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. The rural medical infrastructure includes 17,000 county-level hospitals, many of which lack even a single ICU bed, 35,000 township health centers and 599,000 village clinics.
To Beijing's southwest, hospital emergency wards in smaller cities are being overwhelmed. On Wednesday, AP journalists witnessed dozens of elderly patients in critical condition being wheeled into crowded wards in Zhuozhou, in China's industrial Hebei province.
Two funeral shop keepers and one crematorium worker in Zhuozhou said deaths have been spiking since the government loosened COVID-19 restrictions. One of the shopkeepers, who didn't give his name because of the sensitivity of the issue, added that the city's crematorium was burning 20 to 30 bodies a day, up from 3 to 4 before COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.
Different countries count cases and deaths differently, and patchy testing means that direct comparisons are often misleading.
But experts have repeatedly advised that authorities should err on the side of caution while counting deaths. The World Health Organization states in guidelines that "probable" COVID-19 cases and deaths where COVID-19 was a contributing factor should also be counted as COVID-19 deaths. Problems in death counts have raised questions in countries ranging from South Africa to Russia.
WHO estimated in May that nearly 15 million people died from COVID-19 or due to overwhelmed health systems in the first two years of the pandemic. That is significantly more than the official death toll of over 6 million for that period.
Officials at the U.N. health agency said they were concerned about China's current outbreak and that its lagging vaccination could risk more vulnerable people getting infected.
"WHO is very concerned over the evolving situation in China with increasing reports of severe disease," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the media briefing.
Ryan said the explosive surge of cases in China was not exclusively due to the easing of "zero-COVID" and that it was impossible to stop omicron, the most highly infectious variant yet. Some scientists have warned that China's outbreak could fuel new variants, which might unravel progress made globally to contain the pandemic.
"Vaccination is the exit strategy from omicron," he said.
He said vaccination rates among people over age 60 in China lagged behind many other countries and that the efficacy of the Chinese-made vaccines was about 50%.
"That's just not adequate protection in a population as large as China, with so many vulnerable people," Ryan said. He added that while China has dramatically increased its capacity to vaccinate people in recent weeks, it's unclear whether that will be enough.
------
Associated Press news researcher Caroline Chen and science writer Aniruddha Ghosal in New Delhi contributed to this report.
The free trade agreement with ASEAN is expected to be signed at the end of 2025. If Trudeau is pressured to step down, or if his government falls and loses the next election, Trudeau will not, as prime minister, be there to see the fruits of his labour.
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has ruled on a case she describes as a "bizarre mess" in a decision issued earlier this week.
Your home 鈥 considered to be one of the safest havens from all the external stresses 鈥 is filthy.
The Liberal Party has named Andrew Bevan as its new national campaign director for the next federal election. The announcement comes as party continues to face lagging polls and as party leader Justin Trudeau is facing new pressure to step aside.
When Julie Riddell and her husband, Gerry, bought their Fort Myers, Fla., vacation property in 2009, it didn't cross their mind that they might be buying in a hurricane-prone area.
The choices on the movie marquee this weekend included Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker, a film about Donald Trump, a 'Saturday Night Live' origin story and even Pharrell Williams as a Lego. In the end, all were trounced by an ax-wielding clown.
Mike Grossman was adamant he wasn鈥檛 going to fall for anyone in Australia.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump called for a protester at one of his rallies to 'go back home to Mommy' to 'get the hell knocked out of her,' his latest instance of using violent language when confronted by demonstrators.
The United States will send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery and troops to Israel, the Pentagon said Sunday, even as Iran warned Washington to keep American military forces out of Israel.
As millions of Canadians head into the Thanksgiving weekend, food banks across the country continue to see a surge in demand.
Canada鈥檚 famed dinosaur hunter and one of the inspirations for the "Jurassic Park" phenomenon turned 75 earlier this year and has no plans to drop his chisel and rock hammer.
Toronto police are investigating after a Jewish girls' school in North York was hit by gunfire for the second time this year.
Sometimes love is written in the stars, but for one couple, it鈥檚 written in the aurora borealis.
The Daffodil Garden for Cancer Survivors drew a crowd to Ferry Terminal Park in Dartmouth, N.S., for its final daffodil planting Saturday.
When Julie Riddell and her husband, Gerry, bought their Fort Myers, Fla., vacation property in 2009, it didn't cross their mind that they might be buying in a hurricane-prone area.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump called for a protester at one of his rallies to 'go back home to Mommy' to 'get the hell knocked out of her,' his latest instance of using violent language when confronted by demonstrators.
North Korea said Sunday it put its front-line army units ready to launch strikes on South Korea, ramping up pressure on its rival that it said flew drones over the capital Pyongyang.
A senior politician in India鈥檚 financial capital, Mumbai, who was also known for his close ties with Bollywood has been shot dead weeks before a key state election.
During his first term as U.S. president, Donald Trump tested the limits of how he could use the military to achieve policy goals. If given a second term, the Republican and his allies are preparing to go much further, reimagining the military as an all-powerful tool to deploy on U.S. soil.
Mary Herrick has lived in Washington County, just outside of Milwaukee, for 50 years but during a recent lunch with a close friend there was an uncomfortable moment: Herrick said she was going to vote for U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris and her friend said she would be voting for former president Donald Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz spent Saturday morning tramping through tall grass on the opening day of Minnesota's pheasant hunting season, giving the campaign a chance to highlight the governor's rural roots and love of outdoor sports.
The free trade agreement with ASEAN is expected to be signed at the end of 2025. If Trudeau is pressured to step down, or if his government falls and loses the next election, Trudeau will not, as prime minister, be there to see the fruits of his labour.
The Liberal Party has named Andrew Bevan as its new national campaign director for the next federal election. The announcement comes as party continues to face lagging polls and as party leader Justin Trudeau is facing new pressure to step aside.
Amid escalating violence in the Middle East, a majority of surveyed Canadians say they don't believe the costs associated with Canadians fleeing the region should be funded solely by the government.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a recall for Rana brand Tagliatelle Seasoned White Chicken and Mushroom sauce, citing possible Listeria contamination.
Your home 鈥 considered to be one of the safest havens from all the external stresses 鈥 is filthy.
A Montreal study found that many seniors are being overprescribed inappropriate medications.
SpaceX pulled off the boldest test flight yet of its enormous Starship rocket on Sunday, catching the returning booster back at the launch pad with mechanical arms.
As artificial intelligence continues to develop in seemingly all facets of life 鈥 including health care 鈥 experts say it's important for patients to know AI may be used in their care.
The northern lights could be visible across most of Canada this week.
The choices on the movie marquee this weekend included Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker, a film about Donald Trump, a 'Saturday Night Live' origin story and even Pharrell Williams as a Lego. In the end, all were trounced by an ax-wielding clown.
'Game of Thrones' fans came out in droves to bid on hundreds of costumes, props and other items from the series in an auction that raked in over US$21 million.
Canadian hip hop artist Dillan King says running 100 marathons in 100 days was not only the hardest thing he has ever done, but the 鈥減roudest accomplishment鈥 of his entire life.
Economists expect inflation continued its downward trend last month, giving the Bank of Canada the all-clear to continue cutting its benchmark interest rate.
Several hundred "underperforming" 7-Eleven locations across North America are closing, the convenience store announced.
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has ruled on a case she describes as a "bizarre mess" in a decision issued earlier this week.
It鈥檚 almost impossible to know what to say to someone in the throes of grief. We all want to say something comforting. Very few of us know what that is.
The Orient Express' opulent passenger experience was later immortalized in popular culture by authors like Graham Greene and Agatha Christie. But dining on the move was very much a triumph of logistics and engineering.
James Taylor never expected to be walking home with a bag full of groceries he didn't buy.
Over his quarter century in the National Hockey League, Mark Messier witnessed sweeping technological changes to the game, from the advent of lighter hockey sticks to the use of video reviews.
Some prominent figures will be added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's James F. Goldstein SuperFan Gallery on Sunday, a few hours before this year鈥檚 class is enshrined in Springfield, Mass.
Two months before FIFA is set to confirm Saudi Arabia as the 2034 World Cup host, the soccer body was urged again Friday to allow independent scrutiny of the kingdom's human rights obligations for the tournament.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled on Thursday his vision of a 'a fun, exciting future,' an 'age of abundance' full of his company鈥檚 self-driving cars without steering wheels, parking lots turned into parks and robots that will walk among the population 鈥 that he once again promised would be available within a few years.
Dozens of cars were pulled out of the Detroit River in west Windsor on Tuesday, causing many questions for Windsorites.
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are being recalled in Canada due to a steering-related issue that could increase a driver's risk of crash.
James Taylor never expected to be walking home with a bag full of groceries he didn't buy.
This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of a large blizzard that paralyzed Manitoba.
There was an eye-catching mix of rainbows and lightning over Vancouver following a brief downpour this week.
Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.
Saskatchewan鈥檚 Jessica Campbell has made hockey history, becoming the first ever female assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Have you ever seen videos of hovercrafts online or on TV and thought, 'Wow, I wish I could ride one of those.' One Alberta man did, and then built his own.
A B.C. couple is getting desperate 鈥 and creative 鈥 in their search for their missing dog.
Videos of a meteor streaking across the skies of southern Ontario have surfaced and small bits of the outer space rock may have made it to land, one astronomy professor says.
A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.
Vicki Huntington says two things are critical to be elected as an Independent member of the legislature in British Columbia 鈥 trusted name recognition and an angry constituency.
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has ruled on a case she describes as a "bizarre mess" in a decision issued earlier this week.
Ever since a cougar made its way from the mainland to the island almost three months ago, the community鈥檚 social media pages have been awash with questions about sightings, sounds and strange goings on. Some residents have posted warnings of deer carcasses spotted on the side of the road; others have described hearing strange caterwauling in the night.
A neighbourhood already plagued by heavy traffic congestion could soon be used as a thoroughfare for hundreds of dump trucks daily due to construction on the Ontario Line.
Canadian hip hop artist Dillan King says running 100 marathons in 100 days was not only the hardest thing he has ever done, but the 鈥減roudest accomplishment鈥 of his entire life.
Three people have died and two have been sent to hospital after a head-on collision in Welland Saturday night.
When you think about it, NHL hockey players are the Canadian equivalent of movie stars, so a red carpet on opening night made perfect sense.
Canada鈥檚 famed dinosaur hunter and one of the inspirations for the "Jurassic Park" phenomenon turned 75 earlier this year and has no plans to drop his chisel and rock hammer.
Jonathan Huberdeau had two goals and two assists for the Calgary Flames in a 6-3 win in their home-opener over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
An Ottawa bylaw officer was struck by a driver following an altercation in the ByWard Market on Saturday evening, according to Ottawa city councillor Riley Brockington.
Ottawa Paramedic Service says a man was taken to hospital in stable condition following a fire Sunday morning at a commercial building along Bank Street.
An individual was arrested Saturday night after being caught walking along Highway 416 in Ottawa, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
A man died of his injuries after an altercation that escalated on a platform at Guy-Concordia station on Saturday night.
Two young men are facing second-degree murder charges in connection with the fatal fire in Old Montreal that killed L茅onor Geraudie, 43, and her daughter V茅rane Reynaud-Geraudie on Oct. 4.
As Thanksgiving approaches, celebrating the annual harvest, women in the agricultural sector want to raise awareness of a reality that concerns them: mental overload.
Your home 鈥 considered to be one of the safest havens from all the external stresses 鈥 is filthy.
A man's death is under investigation after he was found critically injured on the LRT foot path near the High Level Bridge on Friday night.
麻豆影视 Edmonton spoke with two families, as well as Edmonton's public and Catholic school divisions, about the first month of school with Alberta's school cellphone ban.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the appointment of Mike Savage as Nova Scotia鈥檚 new lieutenant-governor Sunday.
The Moncton Fire Department responded to a fire at a group home in Moncton, N.B., Sunday morning.
Canadian hip hop artist Dillan King says running 100 marathons in 100 days was not only the hardest thing he has ever done, but the 鈥減roudest accomplishment鈥 of his entire life.
Two Winnipeggers have been arrested after images and videos were posted online of animals being tortured and killed.
A 37-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged with multiple offences after videos filmed in a public pool change room were seized by police.
Tec Voc has started 6-0 鈥 leading the AAA division as the only undefeated team.
Residents travelling in Regina's north end were sure to witness a large pillar of smoke Sunday morning, as fire crews battled a serious-looking blaze on Angus Street.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders will host a playoff game for the first time since 2021 after defeating the B.C. Lions Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium.
The Saskatchewan Party laid out its platform on Saturday, outlining their plan if they get re-elected in the Oct. 28 provincial election.
麻豆影视 will be livestreaming the Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day parade.
Emergency services responded to a serious collision on Perth Road 164, just north of Line 77, around 8 p.m.
As artificial intelligence continues to develop in seemingly all facets of life 鈥 including health care 鈥 experts say it's important for patients to know AI may be used in their care.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders will host a playoff game for the first time since 2021 after defeating the B.C. Lions Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium.
The Saskatchewan Party laid out its platform on Saturday, outlining their plan if they get re-elected in the Oct. 28 provincial election.
Provincial police in Hearst, Ont., stopped an unlicensed northwestern Ontario driver for a聽morning traffic infraction.
The free trade agreement with ASEAN is expected to be signed at the end of 2025. If Trudeau is pressured to step down, or if his government falls and loses the next election, Trudeau will not, as prime minister, be there to see the fruits of his labour.
The first iteration of the federal government's standardized pre-approved design catalogue 鈥 a revival of a wartime housing effort 鈥 will be unveiled in December, 麻豆影视 has learned.
The London Police Service (LPS) has arrested three people in the early morning of Saturday following a shooting investigation.
One person has died after a two-vehicle collision in the Municipality of Dutton-Dunwich on Saturday afternoon.
Emergency services responded to a serious collision on Perth Road 164, just north of Line 77, around 8 p.m.
Provincial police remind motorists about the importance of buckling up after an officer discovered a passenger sitting on a kitchen chair inside the vehicle during a traffic stop in the Town of the Blue Mountains.
OPP continue to investigate a multi-vehicle crash that occurred midday Saturday in the City of Kawartha Lakes, resulting in five needing treatment for various injuries.
A small fire burned in a pool shed of a Town of the Blue Mountains residence Saturday afternoon, prompting fire officials to remind residents to check their heating appliances ahead of the winter season.
The Windsor police has put out an appeal to the public, asking for help identifying a sexual assault suspect.
One person has died after a two-vehicle collision in the Municipality of Dutton-Dunwich on Saturday afternoon.
The Windsor Police Service (WPS) has arrested two drivers following two separate impaired driving incidents.
Vicki Huntington says two things are critical to be elected as an Independent member of the legislature in British Columbia 鈥 trusted name recognition and an angry constituency.
A BC NDP campaign office in Campbell River received a bomb threat Friday afternoon, according to the party.
A program that started in Nanaimo five years ago that teaches Indigenous kids how to play hockey is so popular that it鈥檚 expanding.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
The Vancouver Giants scored late to force overtime before winning 4-3 over the Lethbridge Hurricanes Friday night.
If you鈥檙e looking for something to do this long weekend, the Lethbridge Corn Maze is open and hosting its annual fundraiser on Monday.
Local photographers were amazed by the aurora borealis display in the night sky over Lethbridge on Thursday night.
Provincial police in Hearst, Ont., stopped an unlicensed northwestern Ontario driver for a聽morning traffic infraction.
A 32-year-old woman has been charged in connection with the death of an 18-year-old man this past January, according to Ontario Provincial Police.
Two people are facing multiple charges after a dead person was brought to North Shore Health Network in Blind River this summer.
A five-hour drive from St. John's, N.L., and well off the beaten path, Point Leamington seems an unlikely spot for a one-of-a-kind tourist attraction.
A Conservative MP from Newfoundland and Labrador says some small towns in his rural riding are overrun with crime, but police say they haven't received reports to that effect.
As millions in federal funding flow into a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been rejected by Indigenous organizations across Canada, a national Inuit leader worries the Liberal government is putting the rights of Indigenous Peoples at risk.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.
