Can Novel Coronavirus Stay in The Body for Years?

Source: HangzhouTube, China Daily, Global Times

Good afternoon

A rumor claims the novel coronavirus, the pathogen that causes COVID-19, can remain in the body of an infected person for years and requires lifelong medication, as with the infection of hepatitis B, where a patient is a chronic carrier of the virus.

The misunderstanding was debunked by Hou Jinlin, an infectious disease physician with Nanfang Hospital in Guangzhou.

Hou said COVID-19, an acute infectious disease, is totally different from hepatitis B, which is a chronic disease. For hepatitis B patients, antibodies are constantly generated to neutralize the viruses.

If antibodies cannot be detected, it is because viruses are constantly replicating and antibodies are generated to neutralize them. Otherwise, it indicates viruses have been deactivated.

Zhejiang saw 1 new imported case

Saturday Zhejiang saw 1 new imported COVID-19 case from the USA. As of 24:00 on April 4, a total of 45 imported cases were reported in Zhejiang and 14 of them were discharged. No new asymptomatic infection reported.

30 new COVID-19 cases reported on Chinese mainland

The Chinese mainland reported 30 new novel coronavirus infections, 47 new asymptomatic cases and three new deaths on Saturday, the National Health Commission said.

The 30 new cases included 25 imported cases and five locally transmitted cases in Guangdong province, the commission said, adding that there also were 11 new suspected cases, all from overseas.

The Chinese mainland had a total of 913 confirmed imported cases as of Saturday night, with 18 in severe conditions, 216 already discharged from hospitals and zero deaths, it said.

China donates 1,000 ventilators to New York 

A donation of 1,000 ventilators from China to New York arrived at the city's JFK Airport on Saturday.

"This is a big deal and it's going to make a significant difference for us," Cuomo said at his daily press conference on Saturday.

 

As of Saturday, New York has 113,704 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 63,306 in New York City. The state has the largest number around 39 percent of confirmed cases in the US. As of today, 3,565 people have died due to COVID-19 in the state. There are 15,905 people in the hospital and 4,126 in ICU.

 False claims emerge over China's medical supplies

For Expats in Zhejiang

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