‘Severe colds’: Celebrity deaths in China raise questions about real COVID toll

A spate of celebrity deaths in China has led to fans questioning whether the Communist Party is covering up the COVID death toll.

A 40-year-old opera singer, a famous screenwriter and the man who designed the Olympic mascot have all died in recent weeks, with state-controlled media attributing some of the deaths to “severe colds”.

Chu Lanlan, a 40-year-old opera singer.

Obituaries make no mention of COVID despite China going through a surge in infections, which has led to bodies stacking up in morgues and crematoria.

One highly rated online comment posted under an obituary read: “Did he also die of ‘bad flu’?”

“Even if you trawl through the whole internet you can’t find any reference to his cause of death,” said another under a story of the death of Ni Zhen.

Ni, 84, was an acclaimed scriptwriter, famous for the 1991 film Raise the Red Lantern, which critics consider to be one of the best Chinese films.

Chu Lanlan, a 40-year-old opera singer, also passed away. Her family did not give details of the cause. However, Sima Nan, a well-known social commentator, indicated that she died of COVID, in a tribute on social media.

Wu Guanying, China’s top Tsinghua University professor, died at 67 in late December. Media reported the cause was “infection with a severe cold”.

Wu was also a Beijing 2008 Olympics mascot designer.

Many online remarked that death in COVID times doesn’t appear to count.

China yesterday denied the country was covering up the true death toll, which stands at just 22 since December, when China dropped its Zero COVID policies.

Telegraph, London

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