Officially, there have only been 13 deaths due to Covid in China throughout December 2022.
However, China has limited criteria for confirming deaths from Covid.
They only counted deaths caused directly by Covid-19, not those that occurred due to comorbidities or the patient's disease history.
This method of data collection is not in accordance with the directives of the World Health Organization (WHO), so China's mortality rate is far below that of other countries.
China has stopped implementing mass Covid tests and has only recorded positive cases with symptoms reported by hospitals and health clinics. Asymptomatic cases and home test devices are not listed in government data.
Currently, Chinese government data records as many as 5,000 cases per day.
Meanwhile, United States-based research firm Airfinity said its estimation model estimates the number of cases in China could reach up to three million by January.
How much pressure do Chinese hospitals have?
Despite the low official figures, the WHO has warned China's health sector could come under severe pressure.
Reuters news agency reported hospitals in China were overwhelmed during the Christmas period. Through the video footage, there was a long line in front of the clinic and patients lying on hospital beds in the middle of a crowded waiting room.
Videos on social media throughout December showed hospitals full of patients.
By comparing various image captures, the BBC managed to verify two videos from a children's hospital in Tianjin, North China.
However, we have not been able to verify a number of other videos that have appeared.
It is difficult to ascertain how severe the current situation is when compared to normal conditions. Because, China filters the information coming out of the country very strictly.
The BBC team in Beijing has reported long lines in front of health clinics and high demand for fever medicines in pharmacies.
Temporary health centers are being set up along with intensive care facilities in the country.
National media CCTV reported Chaoyang Hospital in Beijing will increase its capabilities as the number of incoming patients quadrupled.
They also reported in Shanghai as many as 230,000 additional hospital beds were available.
What does the Covid policy change look like in China?
The easing of Covid-19 restrictions in China came suddenly after mass protests last November, when citizens refused to quarantine across the country.
Before the regulations were relaxed, China had one of the strictest anti-Covid policies in the world, known as the zero-covid policy.
The measures include strict lockdowns even if only a handful of Covid cases are found, mass testing in places where cases are reported, and Covid-positive people must isolate at home or quarantine in government facilities.
Now, the lockdown has been removed, and the quarantine rules eliminated.
In fact, a negative Covid test is no longer a requirement for entering public transport, restaurants, gyms, and other public spaces (except orphanages and nursing homes).
Chinese officials also said they wanted to open the border from Jan. 8 by eliminating travel and quarantine requirements for migrants.
Several countries including the US have imposed strict conditions for the arrival of tourists from China due to the wave of Covid that has hit.
What is the vaccination rate in China?
Overall, China reports as much as 90% of its population is fully vaccinated.
However, less than half of residents aged 80 and older have received three doses of the vaccine. In fact, the vaccination rate last April for this group was much lower, which was less than 20%.
Chinese officials now say they need local health services to "boost the immune system of the entire population, particularly the elderly".
There are also concerns about the main types of vaccines China uses, namely Sinovac and Sinopharm and whether they are effective enough to fight the Omicron variant.