Wuhan secret documents show how China handled data in the first phase of the Covid-19 outbreak – Coronavirus

A group of most likely exhausted front-line doctors and nurses are crowded into a video conference as China’s strongest man raises his hand in greeting. It is February 10 in Beijing and President Xi Jinping, who has been completely absent from public space in recent weeks, is now addressing the medical staff of the city of Wuhan who are battling a still unknown virus. Covid-19 was not yet a word on the agenda.

From a safe room at a distance of 1,200 km from the epicenter of what would be a pandemic that has shocked all of humanity and has led to 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 around the world over the threat of the new disease grow.

On the same day, Chinese authorities reported 2,478 new cases, reaching an overall global balance of 40,000, including fewer than 400 cases outside China. In addition to what was reported by the authorities, CNN came into possession of information on official national documents circulating in China at the time and showing a completely different picture.

In a report marked “Internal Document, Please Maintain Confidentiality”, health authorities in Hubei Province (the epicenter of what would be the Covid-19 pandemic) list a total of 5,918 new cases on February 10, more than double of 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 appears to be trying to minimize the severity of the situation for weeks.

The figures are among the revelations contained in 117-page documents prepared by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Hubei Province, documents that have been verified by CNN.

Taken together, the documents represent the most significant leak in China since the start of the pandemic and provide a first clear perspective on local authorities, who knew when.

The Chinese government has consistently denied allegations by the US and Western states that it was deliberately hiding information about the virus.

Documents obtained by CNN show contradictions between what was known to the authorities and what was made public. At some critical moments in the onset of the pandemic, the documents reveal a series of glaring errors and a pattern of failure that is perpetuated by institutions.

Some of the most surprising information is related to the extremely slow pace at which patients are diagnosed with Covid-19. In Hubei, we are talking about failed tests and bad reporting 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, 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 Hubei province capital Wuhan, according to a key study in the Lancet medical publication.

The documents come in the context of the United States and the European Union, putting increasing pressure on Chinese authorities to cooperate with the WHO in investigating the origins of the virus which has infected more than 60 million people worldwide and produced 1 , 46 million victims.

But so far, international experts have had limited access to Hubei’s data and medical records, although WHO says it has received new assurances from China this week that it will even allow a fact-finding 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 health system and presents himself as a patriot motivated by the revelation of the truth, in solidarity with other medical colleagues who intervened.

The documents were verified by CNN by six independent sources, with experts confirming their authenticity for CNN.

On February 10, the following are recorded in the documents: “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 numbers provided show how confusing, complex and chaotic the situation was,” Huang told the foreign relations council.

Another infectious disease expert quoted by CNN, University Professor William Schaffner, also says 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 specializing in China-related programs, says the documents, which appear to be authentic, are crafted in such a way that officials can present any option they wish. “Give them all options so they don’t put someone in an awkward situation.”

Chinese officials later changed the way they were reported and senior medical officials were fired.

Discrepancies also arise when it comes to the death toll. As of 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 “suspected”.

At the same time, CNN also notes that Chinese authorities 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. So far, the most reliable information indicates that there are 44 cases of “pneumonia with unknown etiology.

The documents also show that, from the start, the test was inaccurate and led to delays of weeks until diagnosis. On January 10, officials also note in documents that the tests are ineffective and often give negative results.