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From a safe room 1,200 km from the epicenter of what would become a pandemic that has affected all of humanity and caused the loss of more than 1.46 million lives worldwide, Xi says. condolences to the victims of the epidemic. The Chinese president calls for more intense public communication, as concerns mount around the world about the threat of the new disease.
On the same day, the Chinese authorities reported 2,478 new cases, reaching a total global balance of 40,000, of which less than 400 cases are outside of China. In addition to what the authorities reported, CNN took possession of information about official national documents circulating in China at the time that showed a completely different picture.
In a report titled “Internal document, keep it confidential,” health authorities in Hubei province (the epicenter of what would become the Covid-19 pandemic) listed a total of 5,918 new cases on February 10. , more than double the figures officially announced on the same day.
These cases are also divided into subcategories: “confirmed cases” – 2,345, “clinically confirmed cases” 1,772 and “suspected cases” 1,796. These figures have not been made public, as the entire Chinese system seems to be trying to minimize the severity of the situation for weeks.
The figures are among the disclosures contained in 117-page documents prepared by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Hubei Province, documents that have been verified by CNN.
Together, the documents represent the most significant leak in China since the start of the pandemic and provide a clear first perspective on local authorities, who know when.
The Chinese government has consistently denied accusations by the United States and Western states that it deliberately withheld information about the virus.
The documents obtained by CNN show contradictions between what the authorities knew and what was made public. At critical moments at the start of the pandemic, the documents reveal a series of clear errors and a pattern of failure perpetuated by institutions.
Some of the most surprising information relates to the extremely slow rate at which Covid-19 patients are diagnosed. At Hubei, we are talking about failed tests and flawed notification mechanisms.
According to a report in early March, on average, the time between the onset of symptoms and confirmation of the diagnosis was 23.3 days, which is an extremely long interval that significantly affects the monitoring and control of the disease.
Tuesday, December 1, marks a year since the first known patient showed symptoms of the disease in the Hubei provincial capital Wuhan, according to a key study in the Lancet medical journal.
The documents come as the United States and the European Union increasingly pressure Chinese authorities to cooperate with WHO in investigating the origins of the virus that has infected more than 60 million people around the world. and has made 1.46 million victims.
But so far, international experts have had limited access to hospital records and data in Hubei, though the WHO says it has received new assurances this week from China that it will even allow a research team to travel.
The documents were provided to CNN by an integrity whistleblower who wishes to remain anonymous. The source allegedly worked in the Chinese healthcare system and presents himself as a patriot motivated by the revelation of the truth, in solidarity with other medical colleagues who spoke.
The documents were verified by CNN from six independent sources, and experts confirmed their authenticity for CNN.
On February 10, the documents recorded: “confirmed cases” – 2,345, “clinically confirmed cases” 1,772 and “suspected cases” 1,796. “Many of the suspected cases should have been included in the confirmed cases,” said an expert who consulted CNN documents.
“The figures provided show how confusing, complex and chaotic the situation was,” Huang told the foreign relations council.
Another infectious disease expert cited by CNN, university professor William Schaffner, also says that the way the situation is reported in the documents shows an attempt to minimize the impact of the epidemic.
Andrew Mertha, director of Johns Hopkins University, which specializes in China-related programs, says documents that appear authentic are made in such a way that officials can present any option they want. “You give them all the options not to put anyone in an uncomfortable situation.”
Chinese officials subsequently changed the reporting method and senior medical officials were fired.
Discrepancies also arise when it comes to the death toll. On March 7, the officially declared total death toll in Hubei was 2,986. The documents obtained by CNN show something completely different: 3,456 deaths, of which 2,675 deaths confirmed as Covid, 647 “clinically diagnosed” and 126 “suspicious.”
At the same time, CNN also notes that the Chinese authorities have never made public the number of cases identified in 2019. According to a graph that appears in a document, their number could be higher than expected. To date, the most reliable information indicates that there are 44 cases of “pneumonia of unknown etiology.
The documents also show that, from the beginning, the tests were inaccurate and led to delays of weeks to diagnosis. On January 10, even officials point out in documents that the tests are ineffective and often give negative results.
