Yesterday The Epoch Times posted an article about recent research regarding the asymptomatic spread of the coronavirus.
The article reports:
The most recent study from China on the prevalence of infection after a lockdown found no transmission of the CCP virus among people who were in close contact with asymptomatic patients, contradicting the current narrative that asymptomatic transmission plays a major role in the pandemic.
An asymptomatic carrier is someone who has not displayed symptoms after being infected, but may spread the virus to others. This is different from someone who is presymptomatic, meaning the person doesn’t feel or look sick, but eventually shows symptoms later, and does transmit the virus during that presymptomatic phase.
I’m not sure I trust any research coming out of China, but this is a very interesting concept.
The article continues:
The study, published in Nature, identified 300 asymptomatic positive cases through a massive screening program of more than nine million Chinese citizens post-lockdown in Wuhan—where the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus originated—from May 4 to June 1, using PCR tests.
Samples of all the asymptomatic cases were also cultured in the lab and “no viable virus” was found, meaning it cannot transmit a virus. The authors also found that 190 of the 300 asymptomatic samples tested positive for antibodies (IgG and/or IgM), indicating a possible recent COVID-19 infection or the PCR test resulted in a false positive.
The scientists identified and followed 1,174 close contacts of the asymptomatic cases and found that none of the contacts tested positive for COVID-19. They noted, “Compared with symptomatic patients, asymptomatic infected persons generally have low quantity of viral loads and a short duration of viral shedding, which decrease the transmission risk of SARS-CoV-2.”
The article also notes:
The Infectious Diseases Society of America’s most updated guidance on diagnosing, treating, and managing outbreaks during flu season recommends only people with symptoms get tested for influenza.
Sweden, which has not resorted to lockdowns, universal testing of its citizens, or mandated mask-wearing since the pandemic began, doesn’t believe that asymptomatic spread is common. “Based on the experience of COVID-19 and other similar diseases, the assessment is that the spread of infection from people without symptoms accounts for a small proportion,” according to the Swedish Public Health Agency.
This study is very interesting in light of the fact that a vaccine for the coronavirus will be arriving shortly. On December 4th, I posted an article about an interview with Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer Pharmaceutica.
The article at rightwinggranny noted:
With three promising vaccines for COVID-19 in the pipeline, there’s still uncertainty about how effective they will be.
Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer Pharmaceutical – which has applied to the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization for its vaccine – sat down with CBS’s Lester Holt on “Dateline NBC” for an interview that will air Thursday night.
Holt said: “And then what about the question, Albert, of even though I’ve had the protection, am I still able to transmit it to other people?” according to transcript provided by the network.
“I think this is something that needs to be examined,” Bourla said. “We are not certain about that right now with what we know.”
If the study from China about the asymptomatic spread of the coronavirus is valid, then the vaccine should theoretically stop the pandemic in its tracks. If not, we may be dealing with this virus for a while.