Waves of infection are plaguing China.
Residents from the northern Henan province told us about the situation on the ground. They say the medical system has been ordered to avoid reporting deaths as caused by COVID-19.
“This wave of virus has claimed many lives, and the crematorium cannot keep up. It operates continuously day and night. It has eight cremation furnaces, and 24 hours a day there are people working there,” Xiang Zhou, a resident of Nanyang, Henan Province, said.
He explained that hospitals in the area typically attribute these deaths to underlying health conditions.
He noted that many older people in the area did have underlying conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes, but went on to say their conditions were stable with help from medications.
That changed after getting infected by China’s current outbreak. He said that’s when their conditions declined quickly, and many couldn’t be saved.
“Now, in the medical system, they don’t let you say that the deaths are related to COVID-19. The day before yesterday, a friend’s father in his 70s passed away. The hospital said his death was due to underlying health conditions. That’s the official narrative now,” Mr. Xiang said.
A resident from another city in Henan province told us his uncle passed away after getting infected despite getting vaccinated with a dose produced in China.
“Every hospital is packed with people, and there are numerous cases of the so-called white lung syndrome. My uncle had white lung. There are also many (with it) in his hospital. Some were discharged from the hospital even without being fully recovered,” Shao, a resident of Xuchang City, Henan, said.
White lung refers to a symptom of pneumonia that shows up on X-rays. It appears when a patient’s lungs get infected. It’s a common symptom seen in China’s most recent outbreaks.
This wave began spreading in China in September and has swept across the country. The Chinese Communist Party blames the outbreak on influenza and mycoplasma pneumonia while downplaying COVID-19.