Some stats I've gotten - how can China be so low? Flawed data?

[VoluptuaGoodshag]

OK I've gone onto this site which I've looked at intermittently since the beginning www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

I'm comparing deaths and cases per million to get an idea.
So are deaths in China so low because of the totalitarian grip the politicians have on the country or are they just giving out flawed data? Spain and France have a similar death rate though France has had more cases. Italy has a similar death rate to the UK but much less cases per million.
I included New Zealand and the Isle of Man as they have a similar number of total cases but the death rate and no.of cases per million is sooooo much higher in Isle of Man.
Is the number of cases in the UK higher only because we test much more?

China:
Deaths per million 3
Cases per million 70
Total tests per million 111,163
Total cases 100,467

Italy:
Deaths per million 2,251
Cases per million 89,595
Total tests per million 2.16M
Total cases 5.4 million

Germany:
Deaths per million 1,298
Cases per million 81,191
Total tests per million 1.06M
Total cases 6.8M

Spain:
Deaths per million 1,898
Cases per million 118,321
Total tests per million 1.4M
Total cases 5.5M

France:
Deaths per million 1,859
Cases per million 131,952
Total tests per million 2.7M
Total cases 8.6M

UK:
Deaths per million 2,153
Cases per million 167,421
Total tests per million 5.6M
Total cases 11.4M

New Zealand:
Deaths per million 10
Cases per million 2705
Total tests per million 1.08M
Total cases13,531

Isle of Man:
Deaths per million 782
Cases per million 153501
Total tests per million 1.5M
Total cases 13,154

I assume it’s the size of the population so Isle of Man is very small thus higher deaths per million?

Otherwise my dad lives in China and to get in or out of the county you need to go through hotel quarantine so they are like other countries keeping the numbers very low.

The least infectious strain of Covid emerged in China and since then it's been difficult to move in and out of China. There has undoubtedly been a degree of information suppression, too.

Deaths in Hong Kong are also very low in comparison to here.

Whilst I don’t believe china’s figures are correct it’s quite likely they’re comparatively lower. As a pp pointed out a lot of countries in Asia have managed covid pretty well, notably those that have experience of SARS and living with China as a near neighbour.

My brother lives in Japan and it’s an absolute mystery to me how they have managed to be in quite such a good position as they are. There have been plenty of bonkers decisions from their government, like when we had Eat Out To Help Out they had the same plus a similar scheme to encourage travel.
Either it’s to do with differences in social behaviour (eg mask compliance) or maybe there really is a difference in existing immunity, which could also apply to China.

I doubt those numbers are real but…

Have you seen how the Chinese government react to outbreaks? They quarantine and shut down whole cities at the first sign of any tiny outbreak. Mask wearing is also compulsory without exception. Entry in to the country is also heavily restricted. Compliance is Asian countries is much higher than in the West. .

Whilst their numbers don’t show any sense of scale you only have to look at the global supply chain issues, much of which is indirectly linked with disruption to manufacturing and industry in China.

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel do you have any insight into Japan’s tracing set up? I read quite early on that they were well placed for this because they had so much experience and an existing set up to deal with TB?

[quote Cornettoninja]@TheCountessofFitzdotterel do you have any insight into Japan’s tracing set up? I read quite early on that they were well placed for this because they had so much experience and an existing set up to deal with TB?[/quote]
I know they were good at tracing in both directions, who you might have caught it from as well as who you could have given it to.

I have a friend in China (living in a big city) and she genuinely reports that Covid is not really a thing over there. So much so that people aren't bothered about having a vaccine unless they want to travel.

Day to day life has always been unaffected for the masses - restaurants, shops & cinemas open throughout.
However, their isolation and quarantine policy has been ruled with an iron fist. Literally physical guards/police in some areas ensuring infected people stay in their homes. I'm sure there'll be other measures but these are the only ones she's told me much about.

Half my family live in China. Their local university had a case. One case.

The army turned up with 4000 campbeds and rationpacks and locked the place down.

It's a very different appraoch with a very different impact on spread.

Thanks @TheCountessofFitzdotterel .

I am envious of countries that recognised the value of tracing early on. From what I gather/understand it’s reliant on the ‘hit hard and early’ method of implication to really see any benefit from it.