In China’s Covid Fog, Deaths of Scholars Offer a Clue

In China’s Covid Fog, Deaths of Scholars Offer a Clue

October 2022

Wang Linfang,92,

molecular biologist

Four members of China’s two

most prestigious academic

institutions died in October

in line with the average in

recent years.

Peng

Yigang, 90

Chen Jisheng, 90

Qian Zhengying, 99

These are some of the

country’s most decorated

scientists. The academies publish

obituaries to memorialize

their contributions.

Xie Sishen, 80,

physicist specializing

in nanotechnologies

Tang Youqi, 102

Yang Shuzi, 89

Wang Wencai, 96, world-renowned plant taxonomist

In November,

Covid cases surged

across the country.

Shen Qihan, 100

Huang

Kezhi, 95

Then, on Dec. 8,

China abandoned its

tight Covid restrictions.

Zhao Zisen, 90,

developed China’s first

practical optical fiber

Zhang

Guocheng, 91

The obituaries began

accumulating.

Gu Zhen’an, 86

Long Yuqiu, 96

Zhang

Youshang, 97

Jiang Hualiang, 57

Wang Zhongqi, 90

Wu Chengkang, 93

Tang Hongxiao, 91

Lu Qiang, 86

As the weeks went on,

they shot up.

Li Wenhua, 90

Tong

Tanjun, 88

Li Qingzhong, 92

Guan Zhaoye, 93

Guan Qiao, 87

Sun Jingliang, 92

Yu Dequan, 90

Jiang Long, 89

Li Tianchu, 77

Zhang

Jinzhe, 102

Zhao Yinjun, 92

Ma Jianzhang, 85,

one of China’s top

wildlife scientists

January 2023

Zhang Jinlin, 86,

nuclear submarine

expert

Fan

Weitang, 87

Wu Sheng, 88

Lu Xiyan, 94

Yang Fuyu, 95

Liang Jincai, 95

Mao Zhi, 90

Qian Yitai, 83

Ge Xiurun, 88

Zhao Qiguo, 92

Hu

Guangzhen, 95

Li Jieshou, 98

Li Zhao, 82

Wang Wei, 85

Ouyang Pingkai, 77

Fang Zhiyuan, 83,

cultivated more than 30 new types of cabbages

A total of 40 scholars died

in the past two months.

October 2022

Wang Linfang,92,

molecular biologist

Four members of China’s two most

prestigious academic institutions

died in October – in line with the

average in recent years.

Chen Jisheng, 90

Qian Zhengying, 99

Peng Yigang, 90

These are some of the country’s most

decorated scientists. The academies

publish obituaries to memorialize

their contributions.

Xie Sishen, 80,

physicist specializing

in nanotechnologies

Yang Shuzi, 89

Tang Youqi, 102

Wang Wencai, 96, world-renowned plant taxonomist

In November, Covid cases surged

across the country.

Shen Qihan, 100

Huang

Kezhi, 95

Then, on Dec. 8, China abandoned

its tight Covid restrictions.

Zhang

Guocheng, 91

Zhao Zisen, 90,

developed China’s first

practical optical fiber

Tang

Hongxiao, 91

The obituaries began

accumulating.

Gu Zhen’an, 86

Long

Yuqiu, 96

Lu Qiang, 86

Jiang Hualiang, 57

Zhang

Youshang, 97

Wang Zhongqi, 90

Wu Chengkang, 93

As the weeks went on,

they shot up.

Zhao Yinjun, 92

Tong Tanjun, 88

Li Wenhua, 90

Ma Jianzhang, 85,

one of China’s top

wildlife scientists

Li Qingzhong, 92

Zhang Jinzhe, 102

Guan Zhaoye, 93

Guan Qiao, 87

Sun Jingliang, 92

Yu Dequan, 90

Jiang Long, 89

Li Tianchu, 77

January 2023

Fan

Weitang, 87

Zhang Jinlin, 86,

nuclear submarine expert

Wu Sheng, 88

Lu Xiyan, 94

Yang Fuyu, 95

Liang Jincai, 95

Ge Xiurun, 88

Mao Zhi, 90

Fang Zhiyuan, 83,

cultivated more than 30 new types of cabbages

Qian Yitai, 83

Zhao Qiguo, 92

Hu

Guangzhen, 95

Li Zhao, 82

Wang Wei, 85

Ouyang Pingkai, 77

Li Jieshou, 98

A total of 40 scholars died

in the past two months.

October 2022

Wang Linfang,92,

molecular biologist

Four members of China’s two most

prestigious academic institutions

died in October – in line with the

average in recent years.

Qian Zhengying, 99

Chen Jisheng, 90

Peng Yigang, 90

These are some of the country’s most

decorated scientists. The academies

publish obituaries to memorialize

their contributions.

Xie Sishen, 80,

physicist specializing

in nanotechnologies

Yang Shuzi, 89

Wang Wencai, 96, world-renowned plant taxonomist

Tang Youqi, 102

In November, Covid cases surged

across the country.

Shen Qihan, 100

Huang

Kezhi, 95

Then, on Dec. 8, China abandoned

its tight Covid restrictions.

Long Yuqiu, 96

Gu Zhen’an, 86

Tang

Hongxiao, 91

Zhao Zisen, 90,

developed China’s first

practical optical fiber

Zhang

Guocheng, 91

Zhao Yinjun, 92

The obituaries began

accumulating.

Lu Qiang, 86

Jiang Hualiang, 57

Li Wenhua, 90

Zhang

Youshang, 97

Zhang

Jinzhe, 102

Tong Tanjun, 88

Wang Zhongqi, 90

Wu Chengkang, 93

As the weeks went on,

they shot up.

Yu Dequan, 90

Li Qingzhong, 92

Ma Jianzhang, 85,

one of China’s top

wildlife scientists

Guan Zhaoye, 93

Guan Qiao, 87

Sun Jingliang, 92

Li Tianchu, 77

Jiang Long, 89

January 2023

Fan

Weitang, 87

Zhao Qiguo, 92

Wu Sheng, 88

Lu Xiyan, 94

Ge Xiurun, 88

Zhang Jinlin, 86,

nuclear submarine expert

Yang Fuyu, 95

Mao Zhi, 90

Qian Yitai, 83

Fang Zhiyuan, 83,

cultivated more than 30 new types of cabbages

Liang Jincai, 95

Hu

Guangzhen, 95

Li Zhao, 82

Wang Wei, 85

Li Jieshou, 98

Ouyang Pingkai, 77

A total of 40 scholars died

in the past two months.

October 15th, 2022

Wang Linfang,92,

molecular biologist

Four members of China’s two most prestigious academic institutions died in October – in line with the average in recent years.

Chen Jisheng, 90

Qian Zhengying, 99

Peng Yigang, 90

November 1

These are some of the country’s most decorated scientists. The academies publish obituaries to memorialize their contributions.

Xie Sishen, 80,

physicist specializing

in nanotechnologies

Yang Shuzi, 89

Tang Youqi, 102

Wang Wencai, 96, world-renowned plant taxonomist

In November, Covid cases surged

across the country.

Shen Qihan, 100

December 1

Huang

Kezhi, 95

Then, on Dec. 8, China abandoned

its tight Covid restrictions.

Zhao Zisen, 90,

developed China’s first

practical optical fiber

Tang

Hongxiao, 91

The obituaries began accumulating.

Zhang

Guocheng, 91

Zhao Yinjun, 92

Long Yuqiu, 96

Gu Zhen’an, 86

Jiang

Hualiang, 57

Zhang

Youshang, 97

Lu Qiang, 86

Li Wenhua, 90

Ma Jianzhang, 85,

one of China’s top

wildlife scientists

Zhang Jinzhe, 102

Wang Zhongqi, 90

Tong Tanjun, 88

Wu Chengkang, 93

Li Qingzhong, 92

Guan Zhaoye, 93

As the weeks went on,

they shot up.

Li Tianchu, 77

Guan Qiao, 87

Sun Jingliang, 92

Jiang Long, 89

Yu Dequan, 90

January 1, 2023

Fan

Weitang, 87

Zhao Qiguo, 92

Ge Xiurun, 88

Wu Sheng, 88

Lu Xiyan, 94

Zhang Jinlin, 86,

nuclear submarine expert

Yang Fuyu, 95

Mao Zhi, 90

Qian Yitai, 83

Fang Zhiyuan, 83,

cultivated more than 30 new types of cabbages

Liang Jincai, 95

Hu Guangzhen, 95

Li Zhao, 82

Wang Wei, 85

Li Jieshou, 98

Ouyang Pingkai, 77

A total of 40 scholars died

in the past two months.

October 2022

Wang Linfang,92,

molecular biologist

Four members of China’s two most

prestigious academic institutions

died in October – in line with the

average in recent years.

Qian Zhengying, 99

Chen Jisheng, 90

Peng Yigang, 90

These are some of the country’s most

decorated scientists. The academies

publish obituaries to memorialize

their contributions.

Yang Shuzi, 89

Xie Sishen, 80,

physicist specializing

in nanotechnologies

Wang Wencai, 96, world-renowned plant taxonomist

Tang Youqi, 102

In November, Covid cases surged

across the country.

Shen Qihan, 100

Huang

Kezhi, 95

Then, on Dec. 8, China abandoned

its tight Covid restrictions.

Long Yuqiu, 96

Gu Zhen’an, 86

Zhao Zisen, 90,

developed China’s first

practical optical fiber

Tang

Hongxiao, 91

The obituaries began

accumulating.

Lu Qiang, 86

Li Wenhua, 90

Zhang

Guocheng, 91

Jiang

Hualiang, 57

Zhang

Youshang, 97

Zhao Yinjun, 92

Zhang

Jinzhe, 102

Tong Tanjun, 88

Wang Zhongqi, 90

Wu Chengkang, 93

As the weeks went on,

they shot up.

Yu Dequan, 90

Ma Jianzhang, 85,

one of China’s top

wildlife scientists

Li Qingzhong, 92

Sun Jingliang, 92

Guan Qiao, 87

Jiang Long, 89

Guan Zhaoye, 93

Li Tianchu, 77

January 2023

Wu Sheng, 88

Zhao Qiguo, 92

Fan

Weitang, 87

Lu Xiyan, 94

Zhang Jinlin, 86,

nuclear submarine

expert

Yang Fuyu, 95

Mao Zhi, 90

Ge Xiurun, 88

Fang Zhiyuan, 83,

cultivated more than 30 new types of cabbages

Qian Yitai, 83

Liang Jincai, 95

Li Zhao, 82

Hu

Guangzhen, 95

Wang Wei, 85

Li Jieshou, 98

Ouyang Pingkai, 77

A total of 40 scholars died

in the past two months.

We examined the obituaries published over the past four years by the state-backed Chinese Academy of Engineering and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The academies’ members, who are drawn from research institutions across the country, help shape national policy and steer research priorities. The engineering academy currently has about 900 members, and the science academy about 800, according to their websites.

Obituaries published by the two state-backed institutions

Aug. 2019 6

March 2021 6

Dec. 2022

23 members of the

two institutions died

Jan. 2023 17

Dec. 2022

23 members of the

two institutions died

Jan.

2023

17

Aug.

2019

6

March

2021

6

Dec. 2022

23 members of the

two institutions died

Jan.

2023

17

Aug.

2019

6

March

2021

6

The obituaries did not specify the scholars’ causes of death beyond “illness,” and the academies did not answer requests for more specifics. But the spike late last year coincided with the coronavirus’s rapid spread across the country.

Infections had already begun rising in the fall, despite China’s strict “zero Covid” policy of lockdowns and mass testing. Then, after the government suddenly abandoned the policy in early December, amid a flailing economy and protests in multiple cities, cases soared.

During that chaotic period, hospitals turned away patients and funeral homes staggered under the number of bodies. The government’s accounting, however, did not reflect those tragic scenes — for weeks it reported just three dozen deaths — and it drew widespread criticism for a lack of transparency.

The government has released more data in recent weeks, saying it recorded about 80,000 deaths since it lifted Covid restrictions. Still, many experts say that figure is likely an undercount, as it includes only people who died in hospitals; some have estimated that the death toll in China could exceed 1 million people in the coming months.

On Chinese social media, users have pointed to the skyrocketing number of obituaries published by places like the two academies, to suggest that the true number of deaths is much higher than the official figure.

Any count is likely to be incomplete because the government has largely abandoned Covid testing, including in hospitals, said Jin Dongyan, a virologist at the University of Hong Kong. “The reality is that even the government might not know everything,” he said.

“It’s the government’s job” to gather and share accurate information, Dr. Jin continued. “But they’re not doing their job.”

The deceased included molecular biologists, nuclear physicists and experts in agricultural chemistry. One academy member, Ma Jianzhang, 86, was a wildlife scientist who specialized in Siberian tigers. He helped establish the country’s only college for wildlife and nature reserves, and led groups including the China Zoological Society and the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

Reached by phone, a relative of Professor Ma said that she did not know whether he had contracted Covid, because he had not been tested. He had other underlying diseases, she added.

“To the outside world, he may be someone with great achievements or influence,” the relative, Fu Qun, said. “To our family, he was more important as a sort of spiritual leader. We all respected him very much.”

The data drawn from the obituaries are far from conclusive. The institutions also did not answer questions about whether the obituaries — both during the outbreak and before — were exhaustive of all scholars who had died.

Still, obituaries published by other institutions showed similar spikes in late December and early January.

From 2019 to 2021, the Harbin Institute of Technology, one of the top engineering schools in the world, had published between one and three obituaries for professors and staff members in those months. Between December and last month, it announced 29 deaths.

Obituaries published by the Harbin Institute of Technology

April 2019 5

Dec. 2022 12

Jan. 2023

19 professors and

staff members died

Jan. 2023

19 professors and

staff members died

Dec.

2022

12

April

2019

5

Jan. 2023

19 professors and

staff members died

Dec.

2022

12

April

2019

5

University-wide obituaries were not publicly available for Peking University, one of China’s most prestigious. But some individual departments published obituaries for their own professors and staff.

Those who died included Luo Xiaochun, 68, a former director of the library for the Foreign Languages department; Zhao Binghua, 91, a founder of Peking University’s nursing school, who had recalled juggling housework and care for her two children with her duties as a pediatrician in the 1960s; and Guo Xiliang, 93, a linguist who had continued publishing books on ancient Chinese phonetics into his 90s.

Professor Guo had been infected with the coronavirus when he died, according to Zhang Meng, a former student and colleague of the professor at Peking University.

In December, both Peking University and Tsinghua University, another top-ranked school in Beijing, issued notices urging greater protection for retired faculty and staff.

Obituaries published by Peking University Health Science Center

June 2021 5

Dec. 2022

20 professors and

staff members died

Jan. 2023 4

Dec. 2022

20 professors and

staff members died

June

2021

5

Jan.

2023

4

Dec. 2022

20 professors and

staff members died

June

2021

5

Jan.

2023

4

Chinese health officials have said that the outbreak peaked in late December and that cases are steadily declining. But the country has still not addressed many of the underlying issues in its health system, such as less effective vaccines and insufficient hospital beds, said Professor Jin, in Hong Kong.

“That means, even if you have very small spikes in the future, more people will still die,” he said. “If they don’t learn their lesson, that would be the new situation.”

Peyman Taeidi

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