*Disease experts are raising an eyebrow at a statement by the World Health Organization (WHO) that transmission of COVID-19 by people with no symptoms is “very rare.”
This latest announcement comes after millions lost their job due to the global pandemic, and millions more suffered from a lack of medical resources (such as prescriptions), and other basic necessities due to the closure of schools, medical centers/limited access to hospitals and businesses over fear that everyone would be wiped out by the deadly virus.
While folks remain apprehensive about occupying public spaces or visiting family and friends, researchers are still finding out new information about COVID-19.
WHO claims coronavirus patients who don’t exhibit symptoms aren’t causing the virus’ spread, NBC News reports. Prior to this, health officials were certain that the contagion could be passed from person-to-person, regardless of whether someone was asymptomatic, per Complex.
“From the data we have, it still seems to be rare that an asymptomatic person actually transmits onward to a secondary individual,” Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical lead on the coronavirus pandemic, said at a press conference at the UN’s Geneva headquarters (see clip above).
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As of June 2: More than 1.8 million #COVID19 cases have been reported in the U.S., with 34 states and jurisdictions reporting more than 10,000 cases. Continue to help slow the spread by staying home when sick and washing your hands often. https://t.co/wiuFBKR3Uh pic.twitter.com/7Gej6KNPiu
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Here’s more from Complex:
Van Kerkhove said that while it’s rare, asymptomatic to presymptomatic transmission still seems to be happening. However, this evidence will have ramifications on how the virus is screened and how its spread is contained.
She added that more research must be done to “truly answer” whether or not asymptomatic carriers can transmit coronavirus.
A separate report on the virus noted that “The co-head of Singapore’s coronavirus task force told Reuters on Monday there had been asymptomatic transmission cases there, between people living in close quarters.”
“We have a number of reports from countries who are doing very detailed contact tracing,” Van Kerkhove said. “They’re following asymptomatic cases. They’re following contacts. And they’re not finding secondary transmission onward. It’s very rare.”
“I was quite surprised by the WHO statement,” said Liam Smeeth, a professor of clinical epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who added that he had not seen the data to support Kerkhove’s statement.
“It goes against my impressions from the science so far that suggest asymptomatic people – who never get symptoms – and pre-symptomatic people are an important source of infection to others.”
Back in April, the CDC said social distancing was necessary because of the “potential for presymptomatic transmission.”
“These findings also suggest that to control the pandemic, it might not be enough for only persons with symptoms to limit their contact with others because persons without symptoms might transmit infection,” the CDC study said.
“What we really want to be focused on is following the symptomatic cases,” Van Kerkhove said. “If we actually followed all of the symptomatic cases, isolated those cases, followed the contacts and quarantined those contacts, we would drastically reduce [the outbreak].”
WATCH:
The World Health Organization issues another predictable “surprise” about #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/vB2vlDatPD
— Dr Boyce Watkins (@drboycewatkins1) June 9, 2020
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