China may see 25,000 deaths a day during Covid peak in January, UK experts warn

As China opened up, removing Covid restrictions, a surge in infections has been witnessed in the country although no clear data has come out of China. UK based health experts estimated that the country is is likely registering 9,000 deaths a day- double of what it had estimated last week.

Cumulative Covid-related deaths in China since December 1 likely reached 100,000, while infections totaled 18.6 million, UK-based health data firm Airfinity said in a statement.

The health firm further estimated that China's Covid infections will reach their first peak on January 13 when 3.7 million cases will be registered in a day adding that the daily death toll will peak on January 23 with about 25,000 a day. The cumulative deaths could reach 584,000, the firm warned.

This comes as Beijing has recorded only several thousands of cases a day, while it has reported only 10 deaths since December 7. Meanwhile, World Health Organization chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, asked China to be more transparent with detailed data on the pandemic.

"In the absence of comprehensive information from China, it is understandable that countries around the world are acting in ways that they believe may protect their populations," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Although, China insisted that the data it is publishing has always been transparent as Beijing's release of all virus information was done "in the spirit of openness".

"China has always been publishing information on Covid-19 deaths and severe cases in the spirit of openness and transparency," said Jiao Yahui from the National Health Commission (NHC) said adding that people who died of respiratory failure induced by Covid are the only deaths counted.

"China has always been committed to the scientific criteria for judging Covid-19 deaths, from beginning to end, which are in line with the international criteria," the top health expert said.