A huge misunderstanding about China’s zero growth of domestic COVID-19 case:
That does NOT mean China’s elimination of domestic coronavirus infections.
Based on Chinese criteria, asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers are NOT counted as confirmed cases. Here’re the details:
That does NOT mean China’s elimination of domestic coronavirus infections.
Based on Chinese criteria, asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers are NOT counted as confirmed cases. Here’re the details:
1. If u look into the “COVID-19 prevention and containment plan” published by National Health Commission, you’ll find there are two separated categories: confirmed cases & asymptomatic carriers. 
2. The local authorities must report both asymptomatic carriers who test positive, and the confirmed cases who show clinical symptoms like fever or lung abnormality from CT scan.
3. The asymptomatic carriers are put in 14-day quarantine, but the data is not public at the moment. The guideline states if the carriers show symptoms it must be promptly reported & change the category.
4. There might be various reasons to categorize like this. Just want to point out the zero confirmed case in China does NOT mean zero infections. This shouldn’t give ppl a false sense of safety and we all have a much longer battle to fight.
5. Here’s the link to the full guideline doc: nhc.gov.cn/jkj/s3577/2020… /END
6. Some additional info: based on the 5th addition of the guideline, when local authorities report cases, they need to choose “suspect case”, “confirmed cases”, and “positive cases”—the positive cases specifically refer to asymptomatic carriers.
7. mainland media and HK have been asking questions abt this since early Feb. NHC response: Its unlikely for asymptomatic carriers to pass the disease. But this explanation directly contradicts the guideline saying asymptomatic ppl can be infectious m.yicai.com/news/100505273…
8. Another clarification: there are 2 guidelines by NHC: prevention/containment guideline & treatment guideline. The former is abt detection; the latter is abt treatment. There’s no mention of asymptomatic ppl in the latter cuz there’s nothing to treat. Don’t conflate the two
9. I don’t think it changes the fact that some measures China taken after the outbreak are effective at a huge cost. Jut want to stress this is a long battle. The complacency & glee (abt the success itself or abt China’s not-so-thorough scrub) is not helpful
10. Some ppl argue the 4th edition guideline is dated. Here’s the latest full doc (5th edition) gov.cn/zhengce/zhengc… ; 6th edition has yet to be released in full, but here’s nhc’s post, same categories nhc.gov.cn/jkj/s3578/2020…
11. Wuhan gov’s official WeChat account posted an article today confirming this thread. The article “debunked the rumor” that there’re some new confirmed cases—they’re asymptomatic positive cases instead.
