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Asymptomatic spread will hinder virus control efforts

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Subject

COVID-19 pre- and a-symptomatic spread

Significance

The COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe at pace. The scale of community spread, alongside a lack of resources, forced many countries to abandon containment policies and introduce restrictive measures to suppress transmission, including lockdowns. During this time, the research community has concluded that many people pass on SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, while showing no signs of infection, complicating efforts to formulate a post-lockdown ‘new normal’.

Impacts

  • Symptom screening alone, such as temperature checks, will not be enough to allow public gatherings/major events to take place.
  • Many social distancing measures will remain in place until an effective treatment and/or vaccine is available.
  • Even greater focus will be placed on antibody testing to show those at lowest risk of contracting and spreading the virus.
  • Facemasks will become commonplace worldwide, especially in crowded settings such as public transport, and represent a growing industry.

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