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.
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.