China Changes COVID-19 Patient Classification Again... Excludes 'Clinical Diagnosis Cases'

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seolgina Cho] The National Health Commission of China has revised the classification criteria for COVID-19 patients, excluding clinically diagnosed cases.

In the 6th edition of the COVID-19 treatment guidelines announced on the 19th, the National Health Commission removed the distinction between diagnostic criteria for Hubei Province, which suffered the most damage from COVID-19, and other regions, unifying the categories into suspected cases and confirmed cases.

Previously, in the 5th edition, clinical diagnosis criteria were added only for Hubei Province, resulting in nearly 15,000 new cases in a single day on the 12th, including clinically diagnosed patients. Patients who tested negative in nucleic acid tests but were clinically diagnosed based on clinical symptoms and lung CT scans were classified as confirmed cases.

With the removal of clinically diagnosed cases in the 6th edition, it is expected that the publicly announced figures will be revised. Some analysts suggest that the government felt pressured by the sharp increase in patient numbers following the change in criteria. Continuous revisions have also led to a loss of trust in the statistics.

The National Health Commission emphasized the accuracy of testing in the 6th edition and recommended that suspected patients undergo various tests such as antigen and nucleic acid tests whenever possible. Patients are also advised to undergo medical observation for 14 days after discharge.

Additionally, the main transmission routes were defined as "droplet (saliva droplet) and close contact transmission." For the first time, the possibility of transmission through aerosols (solid or liquid particles suspended in the air) was acknowledged.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.