Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, “sudden death” has become an indelible shadow in the hearts of the Chinese people. In recent years, discussions about sudden death becoming more prevalent among the younger population have been escalating on social media platforms. Recently, reporters from Dajiyuan have interviewed people from Inner Mongolia, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Shanxi, Zhejiang, and other regions. Many of the interviewees mentioned a high number of sudden death cases around them, with some occurring among individuals aged between forty and fifty. Interviewees also noted overcrowding in hospitals.
With the increasing cases of sudden deaths among middle-aged and young individuals in various regions, discussions in Chinese society regarding the post-pandemic era’s physical changes and medical conditions are reaching a peak.
A resident of Shanghai, Mr. Han, stated that there have been more cases of sudden deaths, including among doctors and experts. Regarding the reasons for their sudden deaths, Mr. Han suggested they should be related to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the authorities are no longer mentioning the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a center of medical resources, Shanghai has witnessed reports of sudden deaths among medical staff in recent years. For instance, from the end of 2023 to early 2024, several well-known top-tier hospitals in Shanghai reported incidents of young medical professionals passing away due to sudden illnesses. Additionally, there have been cases of executives around 40 years old in the internet finance sector in Shanghai suddenly passing away in their offices.
Citizens have raised concerns that even with Shanghai’s top-notch medical resources, they are unable to prevent these “precipitous” physical collapses, leading many to attribute the cause to hidden myocarditis following COVID-19 infection.
Mr. Liu from Wuxi, Jiangsu, mentioned to reporters that there have been more sudden deaths this winter, including individuals aged 48, 35, and over 50. Their physical issues were not evident beforehand.
He continued by saying that in the past two years, there have been numerous deaths among people he knows, which is highly abnormal. Speculations have been made linking these deaths to the COVID-19 pandemic and its vaccines. However, many individuals remain unsure of the actual reasons, and once a person dies, no one follows up on it.
Ms. Xiang, a villager from Jinhua, Zhejiang, also shared that there has been talk of people inexplicably dying. She mentioned instances of sudden deaths in her village and neighboring villages. People in their fifties suddenly disappear, with no apparent warning signs. Previously, there was time for medical intervention when someone fell ill, but now it happens abruptly, with no opportunity for rescue. Sudden deaths occur across all age groups.
For example, a person around 50 suddenly passed away upon returning home, catching their family completely off guard. This person seemed to be in good health before the incident.
This brings to mind the tragic events of a 28-year-old engineer from ByteDance who suddenly died in a gym in early 2022, and the passing of a 22-year-old employee from Pinduoduo. These cases have shattered the notion that being “young and fit” guarantees health, with people starting to link these sudden deaths to the potential development of “hidden myocarditis” following COVID-19 infection.
Several residents from Inner Mongolia reflected that recent sudden deaths are characterized by an “extremely short course of illness.”
Mr. Wang from Baotou, Inner Mongolia, told reporters that there have been quite a few sudden deaths around them, and the trend is towards younger individuals – people in their forties who inexplicably pass away. This situation is much more prevalent than before.
“Just the other day, I heard about a young man who had just returned from the military, 33 years old. He was shopping for his elderly family members, put the groceries in the trunk of his car, and then collapsed and died. Even when the emergency medical services arrived, they couldn’t save him.”
Mr. Wang also mentioned that many retirees in their sixties now have weakened immune systems, are commonly anxious about life, and experience widespread insomnia, with hospitals having a significant number of people specifically seeking remedies for insomnia. This phenomenon is increasingly prevalent.
Mr. Mu from Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, stated that the situation of people dying around him has become frequent, with people in their fifties and sixties mostly passing away due to lung-related issues. Some very young people die within a few days. In the past, patients who were incurable would be bedridden for several years before passing away, but nowadays, people pass away much more rapidly and at a younger age.
He informed reporters that there has been a rise in people having fevers and colds recently, affecting both adults and children, with symptoms such as coughing, runny noses, and sore throats being common. Severe cases, including “white lung” conditions, are also prevalent.
“Hospitals are packed. There are not many people on the streets or in shopping malls; everyone is in the hospital.”
He mentioned that many people are saying it’s not just an ordinary flu, but the symptoms resemble those of the new coronavirus; it’s very severe and might be a mutation of the virus. Currently, the local temperature is around minus 20 degrees Celsius, and hospitals are treating patients as if it were the flu while avoiding associating it with the new coronavirus as much as possible. “Many people have told me that it is indeed the new coronavirus; this virus seems to be circulating endlessly. It has been prevalent for years.”
Mr. Zhang from Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, stated that several of his neighbors have passed away, including those aged in their forties, fifties, and sixties. This information has been kept confidential, and external sources are unable to find out about it; the Chinese authorities have tightened control even further.
Many people are getting infected, and major hospitals can no longer accommodate new patients; they can no longer coordinate social insurance. Everyone is now seeking medical treatment at community hospitals, and medications must be purchased from designated community pharmacies. However, medications are often unavailable, and hospitals are unable to admit more patients.
Also, Mr. Zhao from Shanxi added that there are an unusually high number of people staying in hospitals, with many in critical condition – already showing symptoms of “white lung.” People in their forties have also passed away.
Over the past few years, there have been reports of young employees in the Chinese internet industry dying suddenly. For example, a 28-year-old ByteDance employee suddenly passed away at the company’s premises, and a 22-year-old Pinduoduo employee died on their way home from work.
On Weibo, a blogger named “Zhu Xinbao2026” with 139,000 followers lamented about the frequent occurrences of sudden deaths on February 20.
The post indicated that discussions about young people dying suddenly have been increasing, with many displaying no symptoms beforehand. Of particular concern is that 80% of sudden death victims exhibit warning signals a month before falling ill.
According to medical experts, common warning signs include persistent chest tightness, palpitations, unexplained fainting, chronic fatigue, and difficulty breathing.
How is the medical community viewing “sudden death”? According to medical definitions, sudden death usually refers to fatalities occurring within one hour of symptoms appearing or accidental death within 24 hours.
The most common reasons include cardiac arrest, severe arrhythmias, acute myocardial infarction, myocarditis, pulmonary embolism, severe infections, among others.
A report previously released by the China National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases indicated around 540,000 cases of sudden cardiac deaths annually in China, maintaining a high global level consistently.
Under a discussion topic related to young people dying suddenly on Weibo, a user named “Leileieli” commented, “My left chest has been hurting on and off these past few days, and today my back and scapula have been sore. I’m scared; should I go to the hospital tomorrow to check if it’s a heart attack?”