China’s health commission has made a startling revelation, removing 108 deaths from the total figure due to a double-count in Hubei province, the epicenter of the global coronavirus outbreak. The pneumonia-causing virus has now claimed the lives of 1,380 people in mainland China as of the end of Thursday.
The National Health Commission had previously reported 1,367 cumulative deaths as of midnight Wednesday, but following Hubei’s report of 242 additional deaths from the virus that day, the total figure had to be adjusted. This marks the second day in a row that the province’s data has caused major changes to the nationwide figure, raising doubts about the accuracy of the data.
In response to the surge in cases, Hubei added a new category of “clinically diagnosed” cases to the confirmed cases count, resulting in a nine-fold increase in newly confirmed cases in the province. This move was aimed at allowing more patients to receive the necessary treatment.
Amidst the chaos, Beijing has made significant leadership changes in the province, with Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong replacing Jiang Chaoliang as party secretary of Hubei province. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for resolute efforts from all levels of government to combat the spread of the virus.
Despite the challenges, WHO officials have cautioned against characterizing the increase in confirmed cases in China as a “spike,” emphasizing that it is normal to change how cases are defined in the midst of a rapidly evolving situation.