Questions about asymptomatic infection case answered

Shanghai confirmed one asymptomatic infection case on Saturday who's a close contact of the third confirmed local case on November 25. Here are some questions you may care about the case.

Q1: Why isn't the asymptomatic patient counted as a confirmed case? What is the basis for determining asymptomatic infection?

A: According to the national and Shanghai coronavirus prevention and control standards, an asymptomatic patient has relevant epidemiological history and the coronavirus pathogen test is positive, but shows no fever, dry cough, fatigue, sore throat and other related clinical manifestations, and the CT image has no features of coronavirus.

The pathogen test of the patient in Shanghai is positive but the person has no clinical manifestations and related CT imaging features which is in accordance with the definition of asymptomatic infection.

Q2: Are the screening measures for asymptomatic infected patients and related places the same as those for confirmed cases? How is the investigation of relevant personnel and places carried out?

A: If asymptomatic infections are found, no medium or high-risk areas will be delimited. Epidemiological investigations need to be carried out in accordance with the prevention and control requirements, focusing on the check and control of activity trajectories, close contacts and other related persons.

The disease control organizations will check places linked to the asymptomatic patients, close contacts and their close contacts, such as the residence, the work place, and the community, buildings and other places, track and carry out necessary nucleic acid testing on relevant personnel. For the close contacts and their close contacts, control measures such as centralized isolation and nucleic acid testing will be implemented to reduce the risk of epidemic transmission.

Q3: After the nucleic acid test results of asymptomatic patients turn negative, do they need to be followed up regularly as confirmed cases?

A: According to relevant rules, after the asymptomatic infections turn negative, they should continue to undergo a 14-day intensive quarantine and health observation and go to the designated medical institutions for re-examinations in the second and fourth weeks.