AIBU to think China is lying about its data?

[Ladyks]

Just that really. Noticed on the update that they referenced how China lowered the curve & slowed down the rate of infections & deaths... but I don’t think I’m buying it . What do you think?

There was an in depth investigation in China by a team of international experts in February.

Independent of, but organised by, the World Health Organisation.

They found that the numbers were correct. The extent of what China did in terms of ongoing testing, extremely thorough contact tracing and very strict lockdowns curbed the numbers.

There is a 2 hour YouTube video showing their verbal update - I was also cynical but I have to say their findings were compelling.

There is also a written report available on the WHO website.

Is the Pope a Catholic?
Do bears shit in the woods?
Do one-legged ducks swim in circles?

This is some of the verbal report on YouTube

I'm cynical. Wouldn't surprise me if they incinerated thousands of bodies. Wasn't it was kept quiet until it was catastrophic.

I read something the other day (can’t remember where, sorry, I jump around a lot between news sources) but based on how frequently the crematoriums were open & running they estimated the real number of deaths was upwards of 40,000 which, to me, seems more accurate if you look at what’s happening in Italy, Spain, and New York currently. Not typically a conspiracy theorist but something just doesn’t seem right to me with how the WHO is reporting it either

I don’t believe them,

Is the Pope a Catholic?
Do bears shit in the woods?
Do one-legged ducks swim in circles?

Exactly.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/27/coronavirus-test-kits-withdrawn-spain-poor-accuracy-rate?fbclid=IwAR21IgbwAkEbLyvqzP0mFfd1lKluOgBI1gVBxrYH6-CvR7WEfE4_YmJ8wnQ

The above may lead to incorrect data.

The BBC have started slowly introducing comments like "if you can trust china to report accurately given its a community country" into its everyday news. Slipped in, innocuously. As if the BBC and our government arent lying, never lie and are to be totally trusted. Funny old business, politics and journalism. All part of the same breeding ground..... And bedfellows

Let's not forget this whole thing started with them censoring the whole thing and punishing a doctor who tried to speak out about it.

Their numbers are nonsense. They started building new hospitals and closed off millions of people when there were officially 19 deaths. The actions and the numbers don't match.

Japan was also fudging its data before the Olympics were postponed - now all of a sudden they have lots of cases in Tokyo? Funny that....

@MissConductUS Yes, may he rest in peace.

@higherfinish that’s a good point.. I’d wondered how it seemed their numbers were so low.. but what about Korea & Malaysia & the other reportedly low number countries in Asia? Makes me wonder if what they’re doing is better than the west or if they’re lying too.

It’s China, the safe assumption is that anything they say is a lie.

I cannot comment on whether the figures are accurate or not, but can tell you what is happening in my city in China now.
Schools are going back, all grades in dd’s School will be back by 13th April
Restaurants open, friends playing frisby in the park
Office workers went back on 24th Feb
All of this suggests they have cases under control. Given the tough measures they are now implementing for those returning to China this indicates that they are now worried about reinfection from outside.
The Chinese took an incredibly tough approach and very different from the uk in terms of contact tracing and forcing people with symptoms to go to hospital rather than stay at home.

I don’t believe anything that comes out of China

For other low numbers take a look at Taiwan, Singapore, Macau and HK although HK up due to recent returns bringing virus back in.

At the beginning of the outbreak perhaps but the intense lockdown they implemented seemed to actually be very effective.

Not typically a conspiracy theorist but something just doesn’t seem right to me with how the WHO is reporting it either

In what sense?

South Korea’s numbers are believable because they’ve been on it with testing and tracing from very early on. However you have to bear in mind that they are a country with very high levels of surveillance and a generally very compliant population - the idea that the Government are tracing your movements via your mobile phone is the stuff of spy movies in the West but accepted in South Korea.

My area of concern is North Korea, they’re claiming not to have had a single case so far but given their proximity and trade with China I doubt that’s true, and healthcare in rural regions will be next to non existent. The population there could be devastated by something like this.

China was tough in quarantining people coming back regardless of symptoms which also a significant difference from the UK .
Quarantine is 14 days even if you have no symptoms, compulsory testing and twice daily temp checks.

Has anyone on this thread actually watched the report of the independent international experts?

I believe North Korea shut their border with China several weeks ago (back in Feb?) so cases could be very low.

The amount of effort China went to - the way they used data and artificial intelligence for contact tracing was actually mind blowingly excellent.