Authorities in China have locked down the city of Harbin after an asymptomatic student who recently returned from New York unknowingly infected 70 people in the region.
Medical experts believe that this development could trigger a second coronavirus wave in China that could turn deadlier when compared to the first outbreak.
Silent carriers elevate coronavirus risk
The 22-year-old student surnamed Han returned to China from New York last month. Authorities asked her to remain in quarantine for 14 days, and during this period she did not show any symptoms. As she did not show any symptoms, she attended a gathering conducted in her neighbourhood after the quarantine period.
Authorities in Harbin revealed that this student was a silent carrier, and during the gathering, she unknowingly spread the coronavirus infection to others.
Soon after the incident, authorities locked down the city, and people are now being asked to wear masks while stepping out of their houses. Gates to all communities and villages are now guarded, and strict actions will be taken against people who violate lockdown rules. Public gatherings have been postponed and any kind of congregation is banned in the region.
Asymptomatic patients on the rise
As the world is trying hard to combat the coronavirus outbreak, the rise of asymptomatic patients is upsetting COVID-19 preventive measures. A few weeks back, a research conducted by scientists at Iceland has revealed that nearly 50 percent of the coronavirus patients are asymptomatic.
As the research report surfaced online, many medical experts believe that the actual number of coronavirus patients in heavily populated countries like India and the United States could be much higher than previously thought.
As of now, coronavirus has killed more than 1,84,820 people worldwide, and the total number of infected people has risen to 2.6 million. The United States is one of the worst affected countries due to coronavirus where the death toll has already surpassed 47,600.
