China hide another terrible epidemic?

In mid-December 2019 reports began emerging from Xi ‘an, in the
Northwest region of China, of an outbreak of HFRS. Medical experts
called on the public “not to panic as vaccinations can effectively
prevent and control the disease,” Global Times wrote
(https://bit.ly/3fqjwCY).
Although, as mentioned above, the authors of a 2020 paper wrote
“the protective efficacies of these vaccines are uncertain.”
Global Times continued: “human-to-human transmission is basically
impossible … it can be transmitted by a mouse bite, by eating food
or water that a mouse has crawled over, or by contact with infected
mouse blood, urine or faeces.”
At the time, due to a recent Covid-19 outbreak, many hospitals with
infection units temporarily stopped receiving patients and were only
attending to patients infected with Covid.
“Haemorrhagic fever is a common infectious disease in northern
China. Starting from October every year, some areas of Shaanxi enter
the high incidence season of haemorrhagic fever,” Global Times
noted, “according to data released by the China CDC, the number of
epidemic haemorrhagic fever cases in China from January to August
in 2020 was 4,359, and the death toll was 21. In 2019, there were
9,596 cases and 44 deaths from the disease in China, with an average
mortality rate of 0.4 percent.”
A public health expert at Peking University said there is no need to
panic and it was less likely that China will have a big outbreak of the
disease. Tests, targeted drugs and effective vaccines are available for
the disease, medical experts said and urged quick vaccinations.
“The vaccine is given in three doses, with the first two doses spaced
14 days apart and the third at least six months later …
It is recommended to wear a mask to prevent aerosol pollution in
areas where weeds or straw are piled up and rat urine and dung may
exist,” Global Times reported on 19 December 2021.
On 20 December, quoting the Global Times, WIO News wrote
(https://bit.ly/3rlrgMa): “it is a ‘natural epidemic disease with high
fatality rate’. However, there is no confirmation on the exact number
of fatalities.”
On the same day, Caixin Global reported (https://bit.ly/3txbqkm)
Xi’an, since October, recorded a number of cases of HFRS, with local
authorities pointing out the figure is “significantly” higher than
earlier this year and the same period last year:
“The number of severe cases and deaths has also increased compared
with previous years, according to a Wednesday report published by
the Xi’an disease control centre, which didn’t specify how many
cases had been detected.
“The report said the incidence rate remains high and recommended
a range of countermeasures including pest prevention and
extermination.”
Schools from kindergarten through 12th grade were shut down “until
further notice,” reportedly primarily to stop the spread of
coronavirus, as hantavirus spreads through contact with infected rats
and mice, Breitbart reported (https://bit.ly/3qx1WUa). But oddly, as
The South China Morning Post noted, the school shutdown appeared
to be a response to the “double danger of a Covid-19 outbreak and
deadly haemorrhagic fever cases.”