TORONTO – A review of 61 studies and reports involving more than 1.8 million people suggests that at least one in three people infected with COVID-19 has no symptoms, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Authors of Scripps Research in San Diego, California, reviewed global studies and reports published through November 17, 2020, including two large surveys in England and Spain, which tested the presence of COVID-19 antibodies in more than one million people.
The researchers collected 43 studies that used PCR tests and 18 studies that used antibody tests to cross-reference their data.
The data collected showed that at least a third of people tested positive for the virus, but never experienced symptoms.
Data like this highlights the importance of testing asymptomatic people, said the medical director of the Vancouver Center for Infectious Diseases, Dr. Brian Conway, on CTV news channel Saturday.
“If we identify groups of individuals for whom the transmission network is unclear, I think there is a role to play in testing asymptomatic individuals to … disrupt these transmission networks more effectively,” he said. Conway.
It’s a feeling that echoes the study.
“In light of the data presented here, we believe that COVID-19 control strategies should be altered, taking into account the prevalence and risk of transmission of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection,” he notes. the study, which adds that as vaccines are developed globally, “More research will be needed to determine their effectiveness in preventing asymptomatic infection.”