"As the country struggles with limited testing capacity, asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 have become a major concern for Myanmar’s health authorities in preventing the spread of the virus. According to official data on Thursday, asymptomatic cases constitute 57 percent of the country’s total confirmed cases, meaning 97 out of 162 patients don’t have any symptoms of infection despite testing positive for the coronavirus. The asymptomatic patients were tested because they had close contact with patients who tested positive for COVID-19. “Asymptomatic and mild cases cannot be detected as they wouldn’t go to the hospital, and this is one of the challenges,” Dr. Khin Khin Gyi, director of the Central Contagious Disease Prevention and Eradication Sub-Department, said on Thursday during a webinar on “Myanmar’s Challenges in Fighting Against COVID-19”. Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr. Myint Htwe has also frequently warned in his recent public messages that there could be hidden cases—meaning asymptomatic cases—circulating in the population and that the true number of infections may be higher than official statistics. Dr. Khin Khin Gyi said that while extensive testing is important to detect more cases and contain the spread of the disease, the country only has limited capabilities to conduct laboratory testing as it can’t produce virus reagents and materials to perform viral testing for COVID-19. “While even developed countries with strong health care systems are seeing many difficulties in the face of COVID-19, developing countries like us face more challenges and needs,” she said..."