Amid fears that China will start another pandemic cycle, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday called on Beijing to release real-time data on the prevailing situation in the country. “WHO has again requested the regular sharing of real-time specific data on the epidemiological situation,” the global health body said, adding: “Including more genetic sequencing data, disease impact data, including hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths, and data on vaccination and vaccination status, especially for vulnerable people and people over 60 years of age.”
The WHO issued the statement after a meeting with China’s National Health Commission (NHC) and the National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated his demand for transparency from China on Twitter. “My team met virtually with representatives of #China to discuss the current surge in #COVID19 cases. @WHO reiterated the importance of transparency and regular data sharing to formulate accurate risk assessments and inform an effective response.”
The WHO’s request for real-time data follows a decision by the NHC, which said it would no longer publish daily data on the number of COVID-19 cases in the country. “Relevant information on COVID will be published by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention for reference and research,” the NHC said in a statement. For the past three years, there has been a thick cloud of uncertainty surrounding China’s COVID-19 numbers. While the rest of the world has managed to tame the virus by being transparent, China has managed to keep the pandemic alive thanks to its strategy of silence coupled with a “zero Covid” policy.
Read Now :What is Gene editing technology, Will ‘Birthpod’ be based on Gene-editing technology “EctoLife”
