China COVID data doesn't show 'true impact' -WHO

STORY: "We believe the current numbers being published from China underrepresent the true impact of the disease in terms of hospital admissions, in terms of ICU admissions, particularly in terms of death," said Mike Ryan, WHO's emergencies director.

He told a briefing in Geneva that the WHO believes the Chinese government's definition for death is "too narrow".

Earlier in the briefing, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated that the agency is "concerned" about the surge in COVID-19 infections in China and urged Beijing again to deliver rapid and regular data on hospitalization and death there.

"We continue to ask China for more rapid, regular, reliable data on hospitalizations and deaths, as well as more comprehensive, real-time viral sequencing," he said at a media briefing. "WHO is concerned about the risk to life in China and has reiterated the importance of vaccination, including booster doses to protect against hospitalization, severe disease and death."