Covid rebound fears in Wuhan

Beijing, April 3: The authorities in China’s Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel Covid-19, on Friday asked its residents to stay at home and avoid non-essential outings amid fears of a possible rebound of the disease due to the steady rise in the asymptomatic cases, days after the nine-week lockdown was relaxed in the city.

Asymptomatic Covid-19 cases are those who test positive for the virus but do not show any symptom and have the potential to cause sporadic clusters of infections. Incidentally, China on March 25 downgraded the risk level of the Covid-19 in its epicentre Wuhan from high to medium and resumed bus services within the city for the first time since the threemonth lockdown.

Currently, there are 1,075 asymptomatic patients under medical observation in the Chinese mainland.

Though no new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases were reported in Hubei and its capital Wuhan on Thursday, local health officials said 51 asymptomatic Covid-19 cases were detected, bringing the total to 742, all of whom have been put under medical observation. According to official media reports, China also plans to test the over 11 million population of Wuhan as asymptomatic cases are being reported for the first time by Chinese officials since Wednesday, amidst international criticism casting doubts over China’s officials figures of the Covid-19.

Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak in China, on Friday asked its residents to stay at home and avoid nonessential outings as the city guards against a rebound in the outbreak, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.