The app seems to be corrupting the database for a LOT of users, and restoring from backup seems to be broken. This is a very serious issue and not simply a single user having a boo-boo because they never made a backup.

The expectation is that Whatsapp fixes their app, figures out a way to restore the data, and gets their shit back together.

This isn't a "help me" post. It's a botched release from the WhatsApp team affecting a nontrivial amount of users.

Have you even read the comments?