Asymptomatic cases in China get more attention from authorities (but not enough to officially count)
The famous epidemiologist Zhลng Nรกnshฤn ้ๅๅฑฑ has downplayed asymptomatic cases, saying that while they were infectious, โI suppose we donโt have too many asymptomatic patients."
Xi Jinping appeared without a mask for portions of his tour of Anji County, Zhejiang Province, on March 30. Photo via Xinhua.
Xรญ Jรฌnpรญng ไน ่ฟๅนณ visitedย the eastern province of Zhejiang over the weekend, occasionally appearing in public wearing no mask for the first time in months. His tour, which included a visit to an auto parts manufacturer in Ningbo (CCTV Chinese), was sending a clear message that โitโs time to get the economy back on its feet,โ the South China Morning Post says.
Monetary stimulus is now flowing from the Peopleโs Bank of China, which โcut the interest rate it charges on loans to banks by the biggest amount since 2015 [from 2.4% to 2.2%]…[in] the first cut to a PBOC policy rate since February,โ Bloomberg reports via Yahoo Finance. A Politburo meeting on Friday also agreed to allow for โincreasing the fiscal deficit as a share of GDP, issuing special treasury bonds, and increasing the scale of special bonds for local governments,โ Caixin reportsย (paywall).
Mixed messages on asymptomatic cases
Right before Xi visited Zhejiang, a new COVID-19 case in the province was reported, and authorities believe the person โmay have been infected by an asymptomatic traveler on a flight from Beijing to Hangzhou,โ per Caixin.
โPrevention and control of asymptomatic coronavirus casesโย (ๆ ็็ถๆๆ่ ้ฒๆงๅทฅไฝ wรบ zhรจngzhuร ng gวnrวnzhฤ fรกngkรฒng gลngzuรฒ) is listed as a priority in the Xinhua readoutย (in Chinese) of a meeting chaired by Premier Lว Kรจqiรกng ๆๅ ๅผบ today.
- Last week, Li called more attentionย to asymptomatic cases, and said, โThe National Health Commission should organize experts to carefully study the infectiousness of asymptomatic cases,โ according to the State Council website.
- One recent Chinese study has already indicatedย that asymptomatic COVID-19 patients were no less infectious than symptomatic ones, Sixth Tone reports.
- The famous epidemiologist Zhลng Nรกnshฤn ้ๅๅฑฑย has downplayed asymptomatic cases, saying that while they were infectious, โI suppose we donโt have too many asymptomatic patients,โ the SCMP reports.
- โAsymptomatic people may be infectingย others despite officials saying risk of this is low,โ the Guardian reports, citing multiple local cases across provinces.
Asymptomatic cases are still not countedย in official totals. Caixin yesterday published commentaries in English and Chinese calling for the public release of these numbers:
- Opinion: China should disclose asymptomatic Covid-19 cases
- ็ซ็บฟ่ฏ่ฎบ|ๆ ็็ถๆๆ่ ็ป่ฎกๆฐๆฎๅบๅ ฌๅผ้ๆ
A commentary on the WeChat account ๅๆ่ฐ bร nyuรจtรกn, a publication under Xinhua, also called for increased transparencyย (in Chinese).
Clarification: The original version of this write-up linked to an SCMP article headlined, โNo evidenceโ asymptomatic carriers spread coronavirus, Chinese health official claims, referring to comments by Chinese CDC official Lรบ Jฤซnxฤซng ๅข้ๆ.
Luโs complete answer in the original CCTV transcript (in Chinese) makes clear he admits that in general, asymptomatic coronavirus patients can be infectious. What he said there is โno evidenceโ of, rather, is that any one individual with a positive COVID-19 test but no symptoms is infectious:
In a large number of samples we have done, there are indeed individuals with a relatively long detoxification cycle. As for individuals, whether they are infectious or not, we have not yet done detailed research and have no direct data to prove that they are infectious, but all in all, there are some potential risks.
