Great attention should be paid to taking preventive measures and treating cases exhibiting no clinical symptoms but testing positive for novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), said Premier Li Keqiang at a meeting of the leading group on novel coronavirus prevention and control on March 26.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, the focus was on saving and treating symptomatic patients, especially those in a severe or critical condition, Premier Li said, emphasizing the need to continue this effort coupled with community-level prevention and control to preserve the current hard-won progress in battling the virus.

Now, he said, the prevention and treatment of asymptomatic patients is an urgent priority.

"The National Health Commission should organize experts to carefully study the infectiousness of asymptomatic cases and the evolution of their condition before creating science-based plans for prevention and treatment. This is crucial for us to push ahead with the anti-virus fight without omitting any link," the Premier said, adding that related authorities should take it seriously and respond to public concerns in an open, timely and truthful manner.

The Premier urged designing scientific prevention and treatment solutions suited to detecting asymptomatic infections according to medical rules and resolutely curbing potential new virus infection and spread.

Since the outbreak of the disease, related agencies have been adjusting the diagnosis and treatment plan to epidemic dynamics, and now the same scientific responsiveness and adaptation should be reflected in coping with asymptomatic infections, he said.

"In the final analysis, the sole aim is to do our utmost to safeguard the life and health of the people," he added.