China study finds 5% to 15% of Covid-19 cases are reactivated

Among recovered Chinese Covid-19 patients, about 5% to 15% may have tested positive again, a Chinese study found.

The rate of reactivation in China varied among different places, with some regions showing less than 1% of such cases among recovered patients, Wang Guiqiang, director of department of infection at the Peking University First Hospital. Wang disclosed the figures during a press conference held by China's National Health Commission on Thursday.

Wang said most of the patients who have tested positive again have yet to show any symptoms, and it needs more work to find out the reason for the reactivation.

Fear of re-infection in recovered patients is growing in China, where the virus first emerged last December. There's little understanding of why this happens, although some believe that the problem may lie in inconsistencies in test results.

More than 82,000 people have been infected with the virus in China, with about 4,600 deaths, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg News.

Disclaimer: This article first appeared on Bloomberg.com, and is published by special syndication arrangement.