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Asymptomatic COVID-19 infection: diagnosis, transmission, population characteristics
Yaxian You1,2, Xinyuan Yang1,2, Dongni Hung1,2
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology & Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Hematology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Insights
Identifying and controlling asymptomatic COVID-19 patients is crucial for epidemic prevention. This review explores detection methods and tailored strategies for different populations to curb virus transmission.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
- Virology
Background:
- The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic presents significant challenges due to asymptomatic transmission.
- Asymptomatic individuals play a proven role in spreading the virus, complicating control efforts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.
- To propose effective detection methods for asymptomatic cases.
- To compare characteristics and transmissibility across different populations for tailored control.
Main Methods:
- Narrative review of existing literature on asymptomatic COVID-19.
- Analysis of detection strategies suitable for asymptomatic individuals.
- Comparative study of asymptomatic patient characteristics and transmission dynamics.
Main Results:
- Asymptomatic COVID-19 patients pose a significant challenge to transmission control.
- Effective screening, diagnosis, and control measures vary by population.
- Comprehensive preventive strategies are essential to mitigate spread from asymptomatic cases.
Conclusions:
- Discovery and management of asymptomatic COVID-19 cases are vital for future epidemic control.
- Tailored approaches are needed for screening, diagnosis, and prevention in diverse populations.
- Understanding asymptomatic transmission is key to recovery and preparedness.
Abstract:
A novel coronavirus first discovered in late December 2019 has spread to many countries around the world. An increasing number of asymptomatic patients have been reported and their ability to spread the virus has been proven. This brings major challenges to the control of the transmission. The discovery and control of asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 are the key issues in future epidemic prevention and recovery. In this narrative review, we summarise the existing knowledge about asymptomatic patients and put forward detection methods that are suitable for finding such patients. Besides, we compared the characteristics and transmissibility of asymptomatic patients in different populations in order to find the best screening, diagnosis and control measures for different populations. Comprehensive preventive advice is also provided to prevent the spread of infection from asymptomatic patients.
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