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COVID-19: State Council issues guidance on administering asymptomatic people
Practical Law UK Legal Update w-025-0771 (Approx. 3 pages)
COVID-19: State Council issues guidance on administering asymptomatic people
| Published on 20 Apr 2020 • China |
The State Council has issued guidance on administering those infected with the novel coronavirus but who are not exhibiting clinically recognisable symptoms.
On 6 April 2020, the State Council issued the Specifications on the Administration of Asymptomatic People Infected with Novel Coronavirus.
The specifications provide guidance to provincial level governments and government departments under the State Council on administering asymptomatic people infected with COVID-19, that is, those who exhibit no clinically recognisable symptoms of the disease but who test positively with respiratory tract or other specimens of the novel coronavirus, and require local authorities to strengthen the monitoring and discovery of asymptomatic infected persons.
The specifications require medical institutions to online report asymptomatic infections within two hours. Upon receiving a report, the local county health department must complete its investigation within 24 hours, promptly register close contacts of the patient and timely submit an investigation report through the infectious disease information reporting management system.
Patients with asymptomatic infections, as well as those with whom a patient has had close contact, will be quarantined and subjected to close medical observation for 14 days. A patient who exhibits clinical symptoms of COVID-19 during this 14-day period will be regarded as a confirmed case and immediately transferred to a designated medical institution.
A patient who does not exhibit symptoms and tests negatively on two occasions at least 24 hours apart may be released from quarantine. If the patient tests positively on either test, however, they must remain under quarantine and close medical observation.
Patients released from quarantine are subject to follow up medical observation for an additional 14 days and are required to report to a designated medical institution during the second and fourth week after release to monitor their ongoing health situation.
The specification also requires local authorities to further educate and guide their populations to improve prevention and control capabilities and calls for strengthening co-operation with the World Health Organization, other countries and international organizations.