NOT GREAT TIMING

China Says ‘Unknown Pneumonia’ Deadlier Than COVID-19 Is Killing People in Kazakhstan

The Chinese embassy claimed the undefined disease has killed 1,772 people this year.

An “unknown pneumonia” that is “much deadlier” than COVID-19 has killed scores of people in Kazakhstan, according to an ominous warning from the Chinese embassy in the country. In a statement to its citizens who live in Kazakhstan, the embassy claimed the mysterious disease has killed 1,772 people this year—including Chinese citizens—and 628 of those deaths took place in June. The claims have not been verified by the Kazakh government, according to CNN. “Kazakhstani Health Department and other agencies are conducting comparative research and have not defined the nature of the pneumonia virus,” the embassy statement said, adding: “This disease is much deadlier than COVID-19.” A Kazakh news agency reportedly cited government data showing that hundreds of people are being hospitalized with the unknown disease every day.