The WHO does not find any new variant of the covid in China, but doubts its data on infections and deaths

Tedros Adhanom, Director General of the WHO.

As the wave of covid in China progresses, two things seem increasingly clear: that the variants that affect the Asian giant are already known and are circulating halfway around the world and that its government is transferring heavily disguised statistics on the number of infections and deaths that are taking place.

This was stated, with the diplomatic tone that characterizes them, by the spokesmen for the World Health Organization (WHO) at a press conference this Wednesday.

Its director of Health Emergencies, Michael Ryan, has asked China not to underestimate deaths and infections, which makes it difficult to assess the danger posed by the disease.

Since the end of the zero covid policy last December, the Asian giant has reported five or fewer deaths per day, something that is improbable for experts and the international press in the country, which has seen how many Chinese funeral homes and hospitals have refuted these data.

They say they are overwhelmed and international health experts predict at least a million covid-related deaths this year if urgent action is not taken.

The director general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has demanded speed from the Chinese health authorities: "Faster, regular and reliable data on hospitalization, deaths, as well as a more complete viral sequence and in real time."

Tedros has pointed out the urgency of vaccination in the Asian country, which barely has the booster dose.

Initial coverage exceeded 90%, only 69.8% of those over 60 have received the booster dose, a percentage that falls to 42.4% in those over 80, who are precisely the most vulnerable.

Just before the press conference, the WHO has published a report on the evolution of the pandemic in this country after meeting with the main scientists of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The data shows that no new variant had been found.

97.5% of the infections have been caused by sublineages of the omicron, according to the publication.

Although the WHO calls for more transparency and does not seem to fully trust the data it receives, if confirmed, it would indicate that international travel by people from that country would not have much of an impact abroad, since these same variants already circulate throughout the world.

Despite this, the alert for the new explosion of infections has increased controls and restrictions at airports for travelers coming from the Asian country, especially as of January 8, when the Government plans to open borders that have been practically three closed years.

This is in addition to the proximity of the holiday for the Chinese Lunar New Year, which will be this January 22.

The director of the WHO alert and response coordination department, Abdi Rahman Mahamud, warned that there may be another wave of infections in this period.

The EU, the United States and other neighboring countries of China such as Japan, India and Malaysia have announced restrictive measures such as negative tests for covid-19.

For its part, Spain will request a negative diagnostic test or vaccination certificate from travelers from China, as announced last Friday by the Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, at a press conference called urgently.

“With such high circulation in China, and without complete data, it is understandable that some countries are taking measures that they believe will protect their own citizens,” Tedros has endorsed.

As the world looks to China, some experts are more concerned about a variant circulating mostly in the United States: XBB.1.5, a recombination of two BA.2 sublineages—which is an omicron variant.

Based on the available data, it seems that it is the most contagious that has circulated so far, although it has not been confirmed that it has a greater capacity to evade the immunity generated by both vaccines and infections.

However, the WHO is closely monitoring this variant and will soon issue an assessment of the risk it entails.

Tedros has been "really concerned" about the current epidemiological landscape, "both due to intense transmission in various parts of the world and due to a recombinant subvariant that spreads rapidly."

Every week approximately 10,000 people die of covid, according to official WHO data.

"The real figure is probably much higher," added the general director of the organization.