In the wake of the re-emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China, data released by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention show a significant increase in the positivity rate of COVID-19 virus testing since April. Respondents in mainland China informed the Epoch Times that Zhengzhou University First Affiliated Hospital, which boasts ten thousand inpatient beds, is overcrowded. Interviewees reported frequent cases of sudden deaths around them. However, the authorities continue to conceal the truth, leading to highly opaque pandemic information, with people no longer trusting any official statements.
Mr. Cai, a resident of Zhengzhou, recently stated in an interview that he lives on Kangfu Front Street in the Erqi District of Zhengzhou, where three major hospitals, including Zhengzhou University Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University Third Affiliated Hospital, and the Armed Police Henan General Hospital, are concentrated, forming a medical hub. He noted that the area is also home to numerous funeral supply shops, with thriving business operations.
Mr. Cai mentioned two friends in their forties and fifties, both in good health, who suddenly passed away one after the other.
According to Mr. Cai, the media avoids discussing such information, and hospitals fabricate causes of death, making it difficult for people to know the actual reasons behind the deaths.
The recent resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China has led to another “peak.” According to data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, from March 31 to May 4, the positivity rate of COVID-19 testing among flu-like cases in emergency rooms across the country increased from 7.5% to 16.2%; and the positivity rate among severe acute respiratory infection cases in hospitals rose from 3.3% to 6.3%.
While the general public is sensing the backlash of the pandemic, official media has started reporting an increase in infection numbers. However, there is a significant discrepancy between official data and public skepticism. Mr. Cai mentioned that if the authorities openly state an increase in COVID-19 infections, the actual situation must already be severe. Infections started rising several months ago. If officials claim a 10% increase in infections, the reality is likely at least double that, amounting to a 30% increase or more.
Mr. Cai pointed out that Zhengzhou University First Affiliated Hospital is the largest in Asia, with ten thousand beds, making it the largest in the world. Recently, the hospital corridors have been filled with patients. During lunchtime, all eight elevators in the hospital operate simultaneously, causing overcrowding and long waiting times.
“Even if someone is diagnosed with COVID-19, hospitals do not disclose the truth to patients because the government prohibits it. Therefore, this information is being censored. The official (media) always spreads falsehoods; do not trust them. The Chinese Communist Party has not told the truth since its inception in 1949,” Mr. Cai said.
According to public information, Zhengzhou University First Affiliated Hospital is one of the affiliated hospitals of Zhengzhou University, serving as a comprehensive tertiary grade A hospital integrating medical care, teaching, research, prevention, health care, and rehabilitation. As of February 2025, the hospital’s official website indicates that Zhengzhou University First Affiliated Hospital comprises five campuses – He Hospital District, East Hospital District, South Hospital District, North Hospital District, and West Hospital District, occupying a total area of 553,100 square meters with 324 clinical departments and 37 medical technical departments.
Mr. Cai mentioned that people he knows who needed hospitalization could not secure beds in certain departments of Zhengzhou University First Affiliated Hospital.
When interviewed, Mr. Tao from Jilin stated that there have been numerous cases of people experiencing fever and cold recently, affecting both adults and children. He revealed that he had witnessed the deaths of three to four individuals in his vicinity, spanning various age groups, with some having good health but passing away suddenly. There have been many unexplained sudden deaths this year.
Regarding the cause, Mr. Tao mentioned that the consensus is related to the COVID-19 vaccines. He shared that news from Beijing implicates the side effects of the vaccines. He learned of cases where many young people who received the COVID-19 vaccine developed high blood pressure, shoulder joint pain, and other unusual health issues.
Reflecting on the situation following the sudden announcement at the end of 2022 to relax the three-year-long “zero-COVID” containment policies, Mr. Cai from Zhengzhou recalled a period when numerous people were infected and died, resulting in crematoriums burning bodies round the clock, with bodies piling up like mountains.
Mr. Cai mentioned that due to knowing people who passed away, he visited the crematorium three times within a month, witnessing long queues of hearses, overcrowded crematoriums, and funeral supply shops unable to keep up with demand.
Based on these observations, Mr. Cai emphasized that since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of deaths annually far exceeds the normal years before the pandemic. He also proposed a viewpoint that due to the significant deaths over the past few years because of the pandemic, China’s actual population is estimated to be less than one billion, not the officially claimed 1.4 billion. He stated that currently, “there are no people everywhere,” whether in shopping malls, airports, plazas, or rural areas, all appearing unusually deserted.