Beijing Olympics: China revises COVID-19 test result criteria & quarantine period

The Beijing Olympics Committee on Monday revised its COVID-19 measures, lowering the threshold for producing negative tests despite skyrocketing cases of coronavirus infections in China. According to a press release by the International Olympics Committee (IOC), Beijing has refined the criteria for determining nucleic acid test (PCR) results and shortening the length of time the close contacts must be put under quarantine, Global Times reported.

"In order to adapt to the reality of the current environment and further support of Games participants, Beijing 2022 and the Chinese authorities, in consultation with medical experts and IOC, refined the countermeasures with the following changes effective 23 January 2022," the IOC statement said.

Under the measures, those testing positive with a CT value of less than 35 will be considered COVID positive. The determinant was earlier set at 40, in a bid to anchor to China's zero-COVID approach. As of now, lowering the threshold means more participants arriving at the Games are likely to test negative since CT value has an inversely proportional relationship with the virus count.

"If the threshold is lowered from 40 to 35 or below, it is possible that a person newly infected with the virus may be judged negatively because the viral load is not high enough. However, these patients can still infect others," Zhuang Shilihe, a Guangzhou immunologist explained to The Global Times.

The IOC informed that the adjustments were made under the supervision of medical consultants and developed in the wake of the current COVID situation and ensure the smooth running of the Games. However, experts like Shilihe believe that the change in the determinant mark was made only to "strike a balance" between the pandemic control and proper execution of the Beijing Olympics. "These adjustments are China's efforts to strike that balance," he said.

The revised rules will be effective immediately. Among further changes, positive participants will be put under isolation for 10days following which they will be released on showing no symptoms. During the quarantine, the participants will be tested twice daily and on having a CT value greater than or equal to 35 for three consecutive days they will be allowed to participate in the Games. Another change made in the rules was the reduction in time in which a person, who was in close contact with a COVID-positive person, will have to quarantine. The days were dropped from two weeks to 10 days.

Over 2k personnel related to Beijing Olympics tested positive in January

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics are set to open on February 4. The Games will begin against a backdrop of intense criticism of Beijing from the international community over its repressive actions against minority communities, including Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, Tibetans, and other Turkic communities, and surge in COVID infections. On Sunday, 72 early arrivals to the Beijing Olympics tested positive, the national committee of the Games confirmed, adding that all were non-athletes. At least 2,586 Olympic-related personnel who entered China between January 4 and January 22 tested positive for COVID-19.

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