Chinese health authorities issued the eighth COVID-19 treatment plan on Wednesday, clarifying that carriers can spread the virus during the incubation period, touching contaminated items can lead to infection and new cases are required to be reported within two hours after they are confirmed to be infected.
The main infection sources of COVID-19 are confirmed patients and silent virus carriers. Even those in their incubation period can spread the virus, which is highly contagious in the five days after symptoms start to show, according to the latest plan released on the website of the National Health Commission.
Touching items contaminated with the novel coronavirus could also lead to infection, the plan noted.
An outbreak in Beijing in June and in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, in July were also found to be related to contaminated imported seafood.
The eighth plan also completes diagnosing standards on suspected cases, requiring people without a clear travel history but who show some symptoms and test positive for IgM antibodies to be identified as suspected cases, according to the plan.
Any confirmed or suspected cases should be reported through the national reporting system, according to the plan.
Chinese health authorities issued the eighth COVID-19 treatment plan on Wednesday, clarifying that carriers can spread the virus during the incubation period, touching contaminated items can lead to infection and new cases are required to be reported within two hours after they are confirmed to be infected.
