LOS ANGELES (KNX) — Four in ten COVID-19 patients are asymptomatic carriers of the virus, according to a new study from researchers in China. The news came as the United States braced for a likely surge in winter COVID cases thanks to the onset of the Omicron variant.
The results, published by Peking University scientists in the journal JAMA Network Open, showed 40.5% of confirmed COVID cases to be among patients who showed no symptoms of infection. Typical signs of COVID infection have been documented as fever, cough, loss of taste or smell, and shortness of breath.
Authors reviewed 95 studies involving more than 29 million patients from across the world.
"The high percentage of asymptomatic infections highlights the potential transmission risk of asymptomatic infection in communities," wrote Peking University's Min Liu.
The study found the rates were closer to 50% among women and airline or cruise travelers.
"The finding of a high percentage of asymptomatic infections among air or cruise travelers suggests that screening and quarantine on airport arrival is important for reducing community transmissions, especially in countries without local transmission," the authors wrote.
