HIDDEN FIGURES

China Revises Wuhan’s Coronavirus Deaths: Toll Was Higher by 50 Percent After Recount

Authorities have admitted that counting errors in epicenter happened because of its overwhelmed medical system.

At least 50 percent more people died of coronavirus in Wuhan than were previously counted, Chinese state media said Friday. The announcement attributed the initial undercount to how overwhelmed the health-care system was as it sought to cope with thousands of sick patients in the deadly virus’ first epicenter. The state news agency said an additional 1,290 previously undisclosed victims had raised Wuhan’s death toll to 3,869. The overall count for China is now 4,632 deaths, up from a reported 3,342. The recount confirms suspicions that many more people died in the city where the illness began than has been previously admitted. An official was quoted as saying “belated, missed, and mistaken reporting occurred” after “hospitals were overloaded and medics were overwhelmed with patients.”