China rates COVID close to HIV as a deadly infectious disease

China included COVID-19 statistics in a newly published national statutory infectious diseases report, listing the new coronavirus as the second-highest deadly infectious disease after HIV/AIDS among category B infectious diseases in 2020.

In 2020, China reported 87,071 COVID-19 cases and 4,634 deaths, with 6.2 infections and 0.33 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the annual report released by the National Health Commission (NHC).