At a news conference on February 14, Zeng Yixin, Deputy Director of National Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that Beijing will not include an asymptomatic coronavirus infection in its infection count.
An asymptomatic coronavirus infection refers to people who are carriers of a the disease or infection, but experience no symptoms of being infected with the novel coronavirus. That is, although they have no symptoms, they are likely to be found to be infected in a pro-active test.
He stated that in accordance with the relevant regulations about the epidemic, only suspected and confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus will be reported to the public. An asymptomatic infection is not considered to be a case that needs to be reported. If a patient with an asymptomatic infection develops symptoms during the period of quarantine, then the government can report it as a confirmed case.
Related posting on Chinascope:
Excerpt in Chinese:
2月14日，国新办就疫情防控最新进展特别是关爱医务人员举措举行发布会（点击观看直播），国家卫健委副主任曾益新在发布会上表示，按照疫情发布的相关规定，仅对外公布新冠肺炎疑似病例和确诊病例。无症状感染者不属于病例，不需对外公布。如果无症状感染者在集中隔离期间出现了症状，这时候我们可将其作为确诊病例报告，并对外公布。
曾益新介绍，新型冠状病毒无症状感染者，一般是指没有发烧、咳嗽等临床症状，但是呼吸道等标本病原学检测又是阳性的人群。主要发现的来源一是新冠肺炎病例的密切接触者医学观察期间的主动检测；二是聚集性疫情的调查中开展的一些主动检测；三是新冠肺炎病例的传染源追踪过程中，对暴露人群的主动检测。四是部分有新冠肺炎病例持续传播地区的旅行史和居住史人员的主动检测。
Source: China Business Network, February 14, 2020
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