As COVID-19 cases in the Philippines continue to rise (as of this writing, we are now at 46,333 confirmed cases), one cause for alarm is the prevalence of asymptomatic cases. These people aren’t showing any signs of having the virus and yet they are coronavirus-positive. Naturally, people are alarmed. However, it’s not something that we should all be panicking about.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently revealed that the chances of being infected with COVID-19 from someone who is asymptomatic are “very rare.”
“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. “It’s very rare.”
While this is reassuring, not much is known about the extent of infection from an asymptomatic individual. It’s very rare, but it still happens. As studies continue to mount, the best thing we can do right now is to evaluate what we know about asymptomatic cases.
What We Actually Know About Asymptomatic COVID-19 Cases
The Department of Health (DOH) maintains that anyone can be infected with COVID-19. It is transmitted person-to-person via saliva droplets from speech, sneezing, or coughing of a person with COVID-19.
A person can also be infected after touching objects or surfaces with traces of the virus and then touching their eye, nose, or mouth. That’s why it’s important to always wash your hands.
Studies show that people who are symptomatic (that is, those who are showing symptoms of the coronavirus) are highly infections one to three days before the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. Once they are sick, they become even more infectious—possibly even after their symptoms subside and they are well on their way to recovery.
To understand this, WHO breaks it down to three main groups of people:
- Those who are currently showing symptoms
- Those who have the virus, but aren’t showing any signs (asymptomatic)
- Those who have been exposed to COVID-19 and who will later develop symptoms (pre-symptomatic)
Among the three, WHO says that the virus spreads mainly from those who belong in the first group. Despite this, the last two groups are still factors, though we don’t exactly know the extent of the spread.
Asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic individuals are dangerous. That’s because they can walk around knowing they’re healthy, when in fact they’re active carriers of the virus. This is probably how COVID-19 was able to spread quickly.
So, in a nutshell, most COVID-19 infections come from people who are sick (similar to how SARS is transmitted). There’s also a small chance for it to come from people who aren’t showing signs or those who will never be sick from it.
Proper Safety Practices
No matter how much some people (especially in the US) rally against wearing masks, it’s a necessity these days. All the measures that the DOH are implementing continue to be of great help in terms of containing the spread of COVID-19. It’s best to adhere to these rules to the letter.
If you feel sick—regardless of whether or not you have the coronavirus—it’s best to stay home and undergo a 14-day quarantine. If you’re not, observe physical distancing, with mask-wearing a part of your routine (apart from the other recommendations, of course).
You can also be asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic, thinking that what you’re feeling might just be a minor flu bug or acting up of allergies. If this is the case, then it’s probably safe to not go out lest you become part of the spread.
We still don’t know much about asymptomatic transmissions. But given that fact, nothing’s changed really. Keep on being extra careful especially if you are a health worker or one who needs to always go out for work.
No matter what the situation might be, staying at home, physical distancing, mask-wearing, frequent hand sanitation, and the like are now a part of the new normal. If we do want to fatten the curve, these measures are more important now than ever.