The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Experts say people without symptoms can still spread coronavirus
When an official with the World Health Organization mentioned that asymptomatic spread of the respiratory illness COVID-19 was “rare,” it caused a major stir, and eventually, the comment needed to be clarified.
Connecticut health experts have joined the chorus exclaiming that, while it isn’t known how common COVID-19 is spread by those without symptoms, it’s definitely an aspect of the illness that needs to be treated with vigilance.
“Without doubt, there is some asymptomatic and presymptomatic spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Tom Balcezak, chief medical officer of Yale New Haven Health Services. “We know this because of epidemiological studies.”
Dr. Michael Parry, director of infectious disease at Stamford Hospital, agreed that there’s no question that COVID-19 can be spread by those without symptoms. “Are these asymptomatic people as contagious as someone who is fully symptomatic? That question is harder to answer,” Parry said.
The comments came after a news conference last week when Maria Van Kerkhove, head of the WHO’s emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, made comments that raised eyebrows — and hopes — among many. In some countries
“The tricky thing about asymptomatic spread is that there still remains a lot of unknowns and gray areas.”
Sofia Pendley, clinical assistant professor of the public health program at Sacred Heart University’s College of Health Professions
with “very detailed contact tracing,” she said asymptomatic patients have been identified and followed.
“They’re not finding secondary transmission onward,” she said. “It’s very rare.”
But the following day, Van Kerkhove walked back the comments, saying the question of asymptomatic infection is “very complex.”
“Some reports have indicated that people with no symptoms can transmit the virus. It is not yet known how often it happens,” WHO stated on its website. “WHO is assessing ongoing research on the topic and will continue to share updated findings.”
The initial comments made a stir, because one of the major concerns about the illness is that a significant number of those infected don’t have symptoms, and can spread the illness without being aware of it.
According to guidance released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 35 percent of people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic. In fact, that is part of what has made the illness so problematic, Balcezak said.
He pointed to Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which caused a pandemic in the early 2000s. Like COVID-19, SARS is caused by a coronavirus, but was somewhat more controllable, because it “has very little pre-symptomatic spread.”
“In those cases, by isolating those with symptoms, we can help stop the spread,” Balcezak said. “If you can’t tell who has the virus, it is more difficult to stop it. Showing symptoms is a marker for presence of virus and the earlier the symptoms are shown, and the faster you can isolate, and the lower you can make the incidence.”
It is possible that those without symptoms are less likely to spread the illness than those with symptoms, said Dr. Zane Saul, chief of infectious disease at Bridgeport Hospital.
He said, for one thing, one of the major symptoms of COVID-19 is coughing, which also spreads the illness.
However, Saul said, it’s still possible for asymptomatic people to spread the disease, so everyone needs to practice prevention techniques, such as mask wearing and social distancing.
Sofia Pendley, clinical assistant professor of the public health program at Sacred Heart University’s College of Health Professions, echoed those thoughts.
“The tricky thing about asymptomatic spread is that there still remains a lot of unknowns and gray areas,” Pendley said. “Due to these unknowns, from a prevention perspective, it’s best for everyone to continue with the recommendations of frequent handwashing, mask wearing for everyone over 2, and social distancing guidelines.”