Case numbers queried

WUHAN: The number of Covid19 infections in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus was first identified, could be about three times the official figure, according to a study by Chinese researchers based in the city.

The paper, published in the PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases journal this week, analysed blood samples from more than 60,000 healthy individuals taken from locations across China from March to May 2020, and found 1.68% of those from Wuhan contained Covid19 antibodies.

Of the city’s population of more than 10 million, the researchers estimated as many as 168,000 residents were infected, compared with the official number of 50,340 cases admitted to hospital. — Reuters