Wuhan, China Conducts 10 Million COVID-19 Tests, Detects 300 Asymptomatic Cases

[Asia Economy Reporter Sung Kiho] The city of Wuhan (武漢), China, conducted comprehensive testing for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) on approximately 10 million residents over a period of fifteen days, discovering 300 asymptomatic cases. However, the Chinese government does not include asymptomatic infections in the official COVID-19 confirmed case statistics. This means that no confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in Wuhan.

According to local media on the 2nd, authorities in Hubei (湖北) Province announced at a press conference the results of nucleic acid tests conducted on 9,899,828 Wuhan residents from May 15 to June 1.

In this comprehensive testing, only 300 asymptomatic infections were identified, with no confirmed cases detected. Additionally, nucleic acid tests on 1,174 close contacts of the asymptomatic individuals all returned negative results.

The ability to test nearly 10 million people in just over two weeks was made possible by "group testing." Hospitals and testing institutions in Wuhan pooled samples from 5 to 10 residents for testing, then only individually retested groups that tested negative, significantly reducing the time required.

Hubei authorities stated, "The proportion of asymptomatic infections in Wuhan is very low, and no cases of asymptomatic individuals transmitting the virus to others have been found."

Wuhan city officials evaluated, "This testing has reassured people nationwide and Wuhan residents, and we believe it has made a sufficient contribution to quickly restoring our economy and society to normal tracks."

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