China May Have 640,000 COVID-19 Cases Not 84,000, Leaked Data From Military Institute Suggests

A new data leak from China¡¯s military-run university suggests that Trump might not really be wrong about China hiding the number of cases.

Officially, the country where the virus originated has reported only a total of 84,029 cases, but there has been widespread skepticism over this figure.

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Then there was the mysterious addition of 50% of death cases in Wuhan toll.

Now a database leaked from the National University of Defence Technology in the city of Changsha suggests the country could have 640,000 cases and not just 84,000.

The data was leaked to Foreign Policy and 100 Reporters, which analysed the information it contained.

FP says that the dataset contains ¡®640,000 individual entries taken from at least 230 cities spread across the country¡¯.

Reuters

Each entry shows latitude, longitude, and 'confirmed' number of cases at the location on a specific date, from early February to late April.

The data as reported by Meaww includes information about deaths and those who ¡®recovered¡¯ in and around Wuhan.

However, it is as reliable a data as one can expect from China.

The University's website mentions that it is ¡®under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission,¡¯ the body that oversees China's military, which has been involved in the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

AFP

According to Meaww report, ¡®The man believed to be responsible for the data is Zhang Haisu, a director at the university's Information and Communication Department who was credited for building the "Fight the Virus to Return to Work Database" and was praised for his dedication¡¯.

It has been assumed that each entry contains one case which would mean 6,40,000 cases of the virus have been recorded, however, discrepancies in counting could also mean the number is lower.

However, no names or identifying details were included with the data, therefore both Foreign Policy and 100Reporters said it has been impossible to verify any of the cases.

Nevertheless, this just adds to the suspicions about China hiding a great deal more about coronavirus than it is letting on.