Wuhan COVID-19 cases may have been 10 times higher than reported, CDC study reveals

The number of COVID-19 cases in Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have originated, may have been 10 times higher than what was actually reported, as per China's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Chinese authorities have reported 50,000 infections in Wuhan since the outbreak began in December 2019, however, a study by the public health officials in the country suggest that the number may have been as high as 5,00,000. 

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CDC conducted a serological study

According to Bloomberg, the Chinese CDC had conducted a serological study in April, the data for which was released on December 27. According to the study, around 4.4 percent of the 34,000 people surveyed in Wuhan tested positive for antibodies, indicating that they might have contracted COVID-19 at some point during the outbreak. This would mean that the original number of people infected in the city must be higher than reported. 

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China has faced several allegations since the start of the pandemic due to its unwillingness to share data with the world. One of the allegations that it faced was the authorities under-reporting COVID-19 cases, especially in Wuhan, where the scientists believe the virus may have originated. But, China maintains that with effective lockdown measures and quick testing of millions, it was able to slow down the spread and eventually control it. 

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The data by the CDC also suggests that outside Wuhan, not many people are testing positive for antibodies. The antibody positivity rate for Hubei province stood at 0.44 percent, even though Wuhan is situated in the state. Meanwhile, only two people displayed antibodies out of the 12,000 tested in other provinces and cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. This shows that the impact of COVID-19 was not as high in other parts of China as in Wuhan. Despite the high positivity rate in Wuhan, the Chinese CDC have said the number is not enough for herd immunity, adding at least half the population needs to have contracted the virus. 

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