WHO demands more data from China on wave of corona infections: Capitol committee withdraws: Trump does not have to trot

During a meeting with representatives of Chinese health authorities, the World Health Organization (WHO) asked for more data on the course of the current wave of corona infections in the People’s Republic. During the exchange on Friday, the UN Special Agency in Geneva said it had been repeatedly asked to collect detailed data in real time and share it with WHO. This includes information on the genetic sequencing of positive cases to get a better overview of virus variants that are circulating, as well as numbers of patients in hospitals and intensive care units, deaths and vaccination coverage.

The WHO declared its willingness to support the Chinese authorities intensively in the fight against the wave of infections – and conversely called on Chinese scientists to exchange views more closely with international colleagues. It also reiterated the importance of “monitoring the situation closely and releasing data in a timely manner to help China and the global community make appropriate risk assessments and take effective action.”

After nearly three years of extremely strict precautions, the Chinese leadership abruptly announced an end to its controversial zero-corona policy on December 7. According to officially unconfirmed internal estimates, 248 million people became infected in the first three weeks of December alone, which would correspond to 18 percent of the population. Scientists warn that the corona wave could produce new variants that would then find their way to other countries. In response to the wave of infections, more and more countries are tightening their controls on people entering China. (sda/dpa)