E-Paper
China focus now on imported cases and symptom-less Covid-19 patients
China has now recorded nearly 120 imported Covid-19 cases in two days, and as of Wednesday, the mainland had reported a total of 1,103 of these cases.
China on Thursday reported 63 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours including 61 imported ones, recording a two-week high in the number of daily confirmed patients returning to the country from abroad.
Preparing for a possible second wave of infections, the Chinese government has also issued strict new guidelines for monitoring and treating asymptomatic patients or those who are infected but do not show symptoms.
Two new deaths reported from the central Chinese province of Hubei pushed the overall death toll to 3335 while the total number of Covid-19 infections stood at 81865, the national health commission (NHC) reported Thursday.
China has now recorded nearly 120 imported Covid-19 cases in two days, and as of Wednesday the mainland had reported a total of 1103 of these cases.
Of the 1103, 374 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 729 were being treated with 31 in severe condition, said the commission, the NHC said.
The two new domestic cases were reported from the southern Chinese province of Guangdong.
A new circular issued by the State Council, China’s cabinet, has instructed local authorities to intensify the detection of and prompt response against asymptomatic cases of Covid-19.
Asymptomatic cases refer to people who tested positive for the coronavirus but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat, said the circular, noting that they are infectious and pose a risk of spreading to others.
“Screening of asymptomatic infections should be stepped up, targeting close contacts of confirmed patients, people involved in cluster outbreaks, those exposed to Covid-19 and travellers from areas with high risks of infections,” the document quoted by official news agency, Xinhua reported.
The State Council issued strict measures to monitor asymptomatic cases, an indication that this has the potential to fuel a second wave of the outbreak within China.
“Once verified, asymptomatic carriers will be put under concentrated medical observation for 14 days and can only be released from quarantine upon two consecutive negative nucleic acid test results, with a sampling interval of more than 24 hours,” the Chinese cabinet document added.
The process doesn’t end there.
“An additional 14-day medical observation is still necessary for asymptomatic patients who have been discharged from concentrated quarantine, said the document, asking them to undergo follow-up physical examinations in hospitals over the two weeks.”
As of Wednesday, a total of 1104 asymptomatic cases, including 364 imported from abroad, were still under medical observation on the Chinese mainland, the NHC said in its daily report.
