Leaked files indicate China mismanaged early coronavirus outbreak

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• A recent confidential document obtained by CNN showed that China mishandled the early occurrence of coronavirus outbreak.
• China has consistently denied allegations that it mismanaged the pandemic by withholding data and its actual numbers of coronavirus cases.
• More than 63.1 million people have been infected by the coronavirus, with deaths reaching 1.4 million all over the world.

CNN reports on Monday that China mismanaged the initial cases of COVID-19 in the country by false public data and delays in the release of test results reaching up to three weeks, as shown on a recent document leakage.

An unidentified informer, a former staff in China’s health care system, submitted to CNN 117 pages of insider documents reportedly gathered from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Hubei province.

CNN had the files scrutinized by at least six experts, and it exposed how the province mishandled the COVID-19 from October 2019 up to April 2020 when the situation was critical as the virus spread from China to the rest of the world, causing a global outbreak.

China has continually rebuffed accusations from the U.S. and other nations that it resolutely covered the outbreak’s real situation. CNN said the papers do not indicate an information withholding intention, but the outlet noted irregularities between what top officials observed and what they told the public.

Chinese officials announced 2,478 new positive cases on Feb. 10, bringing the global total to more than 40,000. But in a document said to be confidential, the Hubei Provincial CDC listed 5,918 fresh cases on the same day, reporting 2,345 cases are confirmed,  1,772 are clinically identified, and about 1,796 are suspected to be infected.

In early March, a report showed that the usual period for symptoms to develop into a positive diagnosis is around 23.3 days. Scholars told CNN this timetable would have obstructed the health officials’ capability to react to the spread of COVID-19.

The files also exposed that Hubei was facing an influenza epidemic in the last quarter of 2019, which resulted in confirmed cases at a rate of 20 times higher than in 2018. While this outbreak hit Wuhan hard, it had a more significant impact in Xianning, Yichang, and other cities.

CNN also added that while the confidential papers did not indicate that the influenza outbreak and COVID-19 pandemic were related, the surge of the first virus has never been reported earlier. Experts suggested to CNN that the two health crises would have been difficult for health officials to deal with any current viruses.

China has attempted to justify its response to the pandemic. The country’s State Council has earlier said that the government had consistently circulated clear and timely information about the coronavirus.

The latest data from late Monday showed that the outbreak had infected over 63.1 million people and recorded a death toll of 1.4 million worldwide.

A report from Johns Hopkins University showed that there are 13.5 million cases and 267,844  COVID-19 casualties in the U.S.

Source: The Hill