The Wuhan Municipal Headquarters for COVID-19 Epidemic Prevention and Control has reported that the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Wuhan as of the end of April 16 was revised up by 325 to 50,333, and the number of fatalities up by 1,290 to 3,869.
According to the update, the data discrepancies are due to the following reasons:
1. A surge in the number of patients at the early stage of the epidemic overwhelmed medical resources and the admission capacity of medical institutions. Some patients died at home without having been treated in hospitals.
2. During the height of their treatment efforts, hospitals were operating beyond their capacities and medical staff were preoccupied with saving and treating patients, resulting in belated, missed, and mistaken reporting.
3. Due to a rapid increase of designated hospitals for treating COVID-19 patients, including those administered by ministries, the Hubei Province, Wuhan city and its districts, those affiliated with companies, as well as private hospitals and makeshift hospitals, a few medical institutions were not linked to the epidemic information network and failed to report their data in time.
4. The registered information of some of the deceased patients was incomplete, and there were repetitions and mistakes in the reporting.
"Life and people are what matter most," the Wuhan COVID-19 Headquarters concluded. "Every life lost in the epidemic is not only a loss to their family but also a grief for the city. Our sincere condolences go to the families of those who deceased in the COVID-19 epidemic, and we express deep sorrow to the compatriots and medical workers who lost their lives in the epidemic."