Recently, videos claiming to show ‘overwhelmed’ hospitals in China have been circulating on social media, with some users alleging that the country is concealing a new ‘epidemic.’ Several posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, also suggest that ‘multiple viruses’ are spreading at a rapid pace.
These allegations, however, lack any factual basis. Neither China’s health authorities nor the World Health Organization, WHO, have released any statements supporting such claims.
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In one widely shared video showing a crowded hospital, a user wrote: “China declares State of Emergency as Epidemic overwhelms hospitals and Crematoriums. Multiple viruses, including Influenza A, HMPV, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and COVID-19, are spreading rapidly across China.”
A third comment added: “Hospitals in China are overwhelmed by a severe ‘flu’ outbreak, including Influenza A and HMPV, drawing comparisons to the 2020 COVID surge.”
Fact-Check:
No credible evidence or official statements support these assertions. A Community Note on X clarified: “There is no information to back up the claim that China has declared a state of emergency over epidemics overwhelming the hospitals and crematoriums in the country.”
In related developments, the WHO has renewed its call for China to provide data to better understand the origins of COVID-19, marking five years since the pandemic began in Wuhan.
“We continue to call on China to share data and access so we can understand the origins of COVID-19. This is a moral and scientific imperative,” stated the WHO on Monday. “Without transparency, sharing, and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics.”
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