(Yicai Global) March 16 -- China is loosening the standards for determining Covid-19 nucleic acid tests at hospitals and quarantine centers for the first time since the pandemic began in order to allow the early discharge of patients and help relieve the pressure on medical resources as a new wave of the disease grips the country.

Those with a Cycle Threshold of 35 or above in two consecutive nucleic acid tests will not be considered to be Covid-19 positive, the National Health Commission said yesterday in its latest Covid-19 diagnosis and treatment plan. Previously the threshold had been 40. In general, the higher the CT value, the lower the amount of novel coronavirus in the body.

China had set a high CT value to contain the virus quickly, but this approach is no longer suitable with the spread of the omicron variant which is milder and whose patients do not need special treatment, an expert in nucleic acid diagnostics told Yicai Global. Studies have shown that those with a CT value of 35 and above cannot cause an outbreak, he added.

Those with mild infections will no longer be treated in Covid-19-designated hospitals, the health commission said. Instead they will be isolated and managed in special facilities. However, those with moderate, severe and critical infections with a high risk of developing into more severe conditions will still be treated at dedicated Covid-19 treatment centers, it added.

China added 1,860 locally transmitted symptomatic cases and 1,194 asymptomatic cases yesterday, the health commission said today. Between March 1 and March 14, there have been more than 15,000 cases across 28 provincial-level regions, it said yesterday.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Kim Taylor