Asymptomatic spread of coronavirus is 'very rare,' WHO says

[KenH]

Excellent News!

‘ "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, head of WHO's emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, said at a news briefing from the United Nations agency's Geneva headquarters. "It's very rare." ‘

https://www.cnbc.com/asymptomatic-coronavirus-patients-arent-spreading-new-infections-who-says.html

 

[church mouse guy]

I agree with Biden that the Who were a great band and it is no wonder that sleepy Joe plays their LPs down on his basement.

 

[Deacon]

That it is “not driven” by asymptomatic cases is encouraging.

But it’s a rather small sample for the study, <300

6.4% = very rare, that’s more than 1 in 20 new cases

Still enough to be cautious, masks and frequent hand washings

Rob

 

[KenH]

There is a degree of walk-back being made about this statement by the medical community. So the information that the public is being given about COVID-19 continues to be be reminiscent of the parable from the Indian subcontinent about the blind men and the elephant.

 

[Gold Dragon]

This is what the authors of the Singapore study had as its conclusion which is the opposite of the conclusion drawn by the author of the CNBC article.

Presymptomatic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 — Singapore, January 23 ...

This study identified seven clusters of cases in which presymptomatic transmission of COVID-19 likely occurred; 10 (6.4%) of such cases included in these clusters were among the 157 locally acquired cases reported in Singapore as of March 16. Containment measures should account for the possibility of presymptomatic transmission by including the period before symptom onset when conducting contact tracing. 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. Finally, these findings underscore the importance of social distancing in the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the avoidance of congregate settings.

 

[Scott Downey]

Gauzy thin as you can make your own masks and frequent hand washings with gasoline.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/covid-19-can-fabric-cloth-masks-stem-coronavirus-spread

I can relate to this passing out and only 63 percent is filtered out. That leave a lot to pass through even a thick mask.

In one study, a mask that used 16 layers of handkerchief fabric was able to filter out 63 percent of 300-nanometer-sized particles. (The coronavirus is between 50 to 200 nanometers in diameter.) But that mask was harder to breathe with compared with thick, tight-fitting N95 respirators, often used in hospitals, that can block minuscule particles. Wearing a cloth mask with that many layers would be uncomfortable and may “cause some to pass out,” the researchers wrote in the letter.

 

[church mouse guy]

Why should we trust anything that WHO says seeing that the are so closely aligned with Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party?

 

[KenH]

which is the opposite of the conclusion drawn by the author of the CNBC article.

You mean the conclusion drawn by Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO's emerging diseases and zoonosis unit?

 

[Gold Dragon]

You mean the conclusion drawn by Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO's emerging diseases and zoonosis unit?

The suggestion that this means potentially reducing social distancing was not from Van Kerkhove but the CNBC article.

Van Kerkhove was saying what all countries that are taking this seriously are saying. We need to test, trace and isolate symptomatic patients. If you do that you dramatically control the spread.

This study isn't really telling us much different from what we already knew. We know that asymptomatic spread occurs and that symptomatic spread is the major driver of infection. This study just tells us what that rate was like in Singapore, a city that has social distancing ingrained in its culture since SARS in 2002.

 

[KenH]

The suggestion that this means potentially reducing social distancing was not from Van Kerkhove but the CNBC article.

She made the prominent quote. Perhaps you could attempt to contact her and discuss the subject with her.

 

[Gold Dragon]

She made the prominent quote. Perhaps you could attempt to contact her and discuss the subject with her.

Yes asymptomatic spread is rare compared to symptomatic spread. That is not really that surprising or new since coughing is a very good way for viral droplets to spread while breathing is a comparatively worse way. We have known from around february-march that sars-cov2 behaves like a droplet spread virus more than an airborne one.

 

[just-want-peace]

There is a degree of walk-back being made about this statement by the medical community. So the information that the public is being given about COVID-19 continues to be be reminiscent of the parable from the Indian subcontinent about the blind men and the elephant.

I totally agree!!
It's amazing how such a new virus (or whatever it is) could have educated so many in so short of a time, in so many different areas, drawing so many diverse opinions, from so many "EXPERTS"! Kinda makes me think of Churchill's quote about the RAF in WWII. (Surely there are no politics involved; think maybe??)
I think I have a headache!!

 

[carpro]

Excellent News!

‘ "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, head of WHO's emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, said at a news briefing from the United Nations agency's Geneva headquarters. "It's very rare." ‘

https://www.cnbc.com/asymptomatic-coronavirus-patients-arent-spreading-new-infections-who-says.html

Oh, really!

thanks for putting 40 million Americans out of work.

Idiots.

 

[Gold Dragon]

I'm not aware of any medical expert who said that asymptomatic spread was the main driver of infection for SARS-Cov2. I would appreciate a source, if that is being suggested. I have never suggested that on here.

As the authors of the paper say, this study highlights the need for social distancing.

 

[carpro]

Thankfully the lockdown is completely over. Everyone can go back to their everyday lives.

Who are we to argue with 1200 "health experts" that said mass demonstrations should continue? They were more important than social distancing to prevent the virus. Surely the economy is more important , too.

That just confirms that it's all been phony. The only thing real about it is the virus. Everything else was overblown and panic driven.

 

[carpro]

"There's certainly transmission by less symptomatic people in the U.S., too," said Dr. Robert Horsburgh, a professor of epidemiology and medicine at Boston University School of Public Health and School of Medicine, who wasn't part of the study. "As we get more tests and better tests, I think we'll be able to identify more of those people."

However, the authors "overstated their case somewhat," Horsburgh said. There have been a number of studies that came out analyzing the data from China that have found lower percentages of asymptomatic people, and the reason is likely because this new study lumped together people who didn't get tested as being in the asymptomatic category, he added. But "in the early epidemic in China, just like in the U.S., they didn't have enough tests."


Recently, Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told NPR that 1 in 4 people with COVID-19 could be asymptomatic in the U.S. So while the exact numbers in the U.S. aren't yet clear, social distancing "is working, and we need to stick with it," Horsburgh said. Once testing becomes more widespread, "we can switch to the other strategy of isolating the infected people," rather than everybody, he said.

 

[Gold Dragon]

"There's certainly transmission by less symptomatic people in the U.S., too," said Dr. Robert Horsburgh, a professor of epidemiology and medicine at Boston University School of Public Health and School of Medicine, who wasn't part of the study. "As we get more tests and better tests, I think we'll be able to identify more of those people."

However, the authors "overstated their case somewhat," Horsburgh said. There have been a number of studies that came out analyzing the data from China that have found lower percentages of asymptomatic people, and the reason is likely because this new study lumped together people who didn't get tested as being in the asymptomatic category, he added. But "in the early epidemic in China, just like in the U.S., they didn't have enough tests."


Recently, Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told NPR that 1 in 4 people with COVID-19 could be asymptomatic in the U.S. So while the exact numbers in the U.S. aren't yet clear, social distancing "is working, and we need to stick with it," Horsburgh said. Once testing becomes more widespread, "we can switch to the other strategy of isolating the infected people," rather than everybody, he said.

Yes there are many asymptomatic cases. But asymptomatic spread is about whether those cases actually spread infection. If you are asymptomatic you are much less likely to spread the infection. This should not be surprising.

 

[Gold Dragon]

This study only looked at presymptomatic cases. It didn't look at minimally symptomatic situations. One of the reasons social distancing is important is because there are many folks who early in the disease or throughout their disease only have very mild symptoms (slight cough, slightly sore throat, minimal temperature, loss of taste/smell) who can still spread the virus.

 

[carpro]

We don't need social distancing anymore. Protests and riots proved it.

It's over.

Resume your normal lives. Or join a protest and get out of the house.

If you get sick, you get sick. Just like always.

 

[InTheLight]

Excellent News!

So when the WHO says something you agree with politically, it is good news. When they say something you don't agree to, WHO is a socialistic organization that should be defunded.

So when the CDC says something you agree with politically, it is good news. When they say something you don't agree to, CDC is a socialistic organization that should be defunded.

So when the <Insert Organization's Name> says something you agree with politically, it is good news. When <Insert Organization's Name> say something you don't agree to, is a socialistic organization that should be defunded.