China's New COVID-19 Cases Suddenly Drop to 300s... "'Again' Changing the Counting Method"

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Chinese health authorities have 'again' changed the classification criteria for confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). As the criteria changed, the number of confirmed cases in China also changed significantly.

On the 20th, the National Health Commission of China (NHC) announced that as of midnight, there were 394 new confirmed cases and 114 new deaths nationwide. Considering that there were 1,749 new confirmed cases the previous day, the number of new cases drastically decreased in one day.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The sharp decline in numbers was due to the exclusion of clinically diagnosed patients, who were judged based only on symptoms, from the confirmed case count in Hubei Province. Because of this, some regions experienced a decrease in new confirmed cases. On the 12th, the NHC had required that clinically diagnosed patients confirmed by lung computed tomography (CT) scans in Hubei Province be classified as confirmed cases, but the criteria have been changed again.

Chinese health authorities explained that this was because diagnostic capabilities have recently improved and the time taken to confirm cases has shortened.

However, there are criticisms that changing the counting method amid an epidemic spread is unusual. Sudden additions of more than 10,000 confirmed cases or simultaneous decreases due to the exclusion of clinically diagnosed cases cause such fluctuations.

Suspicion about the statistics announced by the Chinese government has also increased. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in a paper published in the Chinese Journal of Infectious Diseases that 15 people had died by the end of last year. However, official statistics showed no deaths until January 3rd.