A study on infectivity of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 carriers

[yuyiinthesky]

Published in the Elsevier Public Health Emergency Collection, an interesting study on infectivity of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 carriers:
 

Quote

Background

An ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread around the world. It is debatable whether asymptomatic COVID-19 virus carriers are contagious. We report here a case of the asymptomatic patient and present clinical characteristics of 455 contacts, which aims to study the infectivity of asymptomatic carriers.

Material and methods

455 contacts who were exposed to the asymptomatic COVID-19 virus carrier became the subjects of our research. They were divided into three groups: 35 patients, 196 family members and 224 hospital staffs. We extracted their epidemiological information, clinical records, auxiliary examination results and therapeutic schedules.

Results

The median contact time for patients was four days and that for family members was five days. Cardiovascular disease accounted for 25% among original diseases of patients. Apart from hospital staffs, both patients and family members were isolated medically. During the quarantine, seven patients plus one family member appeared new respiratory symptoms, where fever was the most common one. The blood counts in most contacts were within a normal range. All CT images showed no sign of COVID-19 infection. No severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections was detected in 455 contacts by nucleic acid test.

Conclusion

In summary, all the 455 contacts were excluded from SARS-CoV-2 infection and we conclude that the infectivity of some asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 carriers might be weak.

 

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7219423/

 

So, 455 contacts of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 carriers had been checked, and none of them got infected. NONE!!!

Not really an argument for forcing masks and distancing on healthy people, not even on asymptomatic virus carriers.
 

 

[ukrules]

21 minutes ago, yuyiinthesky said:

 

So, 455 contacts of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 carriers had been checked, and none of them got infected. NONE!!!

No coughing or sneezing means less 'droplets', just normal exhaling.

 

I'm not surprised at all.

[Monomial]

Be careful drawing a conclusion from that though. The conclusion has it just about right. "Some" asymptomatic carriers "may" be weak transmitters.

 

The problem is that this study involved only a single asymptomatic carrier and those she came into contact with. There very well might be something peculiar about this particular individual which does not generalize to the rest of the population.

 

Although I agree it is a very intriguing case study. We really need to repeat this study with thousands of carriers to determine how common this particular trait is. As this carrier had an interesting medical history of congenital heart disease, was only 22 years old and had chronic shortness of breath, it is possible there is some linkage that prevented her from infecting others.

 

 

Edited June 1, 2020 by Monomial

[scubascuba3]

196 family members wow were they catholics?