Mar 22, 2020 - Health

Report: Data suggests 33% of coronavirus cases in China were asymptomatic

A father and son in Beijing, March 22. Photo: Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images

Classified Chinese government data suggests that one-third of coronavirus cases in the country were asymptomatic "silent carriers," according to the South China Morning Post, the English-language paper in Hong Kong.

Why it matters: Because of the high number of asymptomatic cases, China and South Korea started testing people who had close contact with a patient — regardless of whether they had flu-like symptoms.

  • This testing standard may explain how the two Asian countries have slowed the spread of the virus. Hong Kong is testing airport arrivals in the city, even if travelers have no symptoms.

By the numbers: "More than 43,000 people in China had tested positive without immediate symptoms by the end of February and were quarantined," SCMP reports.

The big picture: The number of infections is rapidly rising in most European countries and the United States, where for the most part only those with symptoms are being tested.

Go deeper: Even the best coronavirus scenario is terrible

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Jacob Knutson
17 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Biden clarifies comments on African American and Latino communities

Joe Biden delivering a speech in Delaware in July. Photo: Mark Makela/Getty Images

Joe Biden explained on Twitter Thursday night what he "meant" by earlier comments suggesting that "the African American community is a monolith."

What they're saying: "Unlike the African-American community, with notable exceptions, the Latino community is an incredibly diverse community with incredibly different attitudes about different things," Biden remarked in an interview hosted by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the National Association for Black Journalists, Politico reports.

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Axios
Updated 44 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine tests negative for coronavirus after positive result

Photo: Justin Merriman/Getty Images

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) tested negative for the coronavirus after initially testing positive earlier Thursday, his office announced.

Why it matters: 73-year-old DeWine was set to meet President Trump Thursday on the tarmac at an airport in Cleveland and was tested as part of standard protocol.

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Axios
Updated 54 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 9:30 p.m. ET: 18,996,008 — Total deaths: 712,476— Total recoveries — 11,478,835 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 9:30 p.m. ET: 4,877,115 — Total deaths: 159,990 — Total recoveries: 1,598,624 — Total tests: 59,652,675 — Map.
  3. Politics: Pelosi rips GOP over stimulus negotiations: "Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn" — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine tests positive.
  4. Public health: Majority of Americans say states reopened too quickly — Fauci says task force will examine aerosolized spread — Study finds COVID-19 antibodies prevalent in NYC health care workers.
  5. Business: The health care sector imploded in Q2 — More farmers are declaring bankruptcy — July's jobs report could be an inflection point for the recovery.
  6. Sports: Where college football's biggest conferences stand on playing.
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