Investigating the Impact of Asymptomatic Carriers on COVID-19 Transmission (original) (raw)

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel human respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Asymptomatic carriers of the virus display no clinical symptoms but are known to be contagious. Recent evidence reveals that this sub-population, as well as persons with mild disease, are a major contributor in the propagation of COVID-19. The asymptomatic sub-population frequently escapes detection by public health surveillance systems. Because of this, the currently accepted estimates of the basic reproduction number (R 0) of the disease are inaccurate. It is unlikely that a pathogen can blanket the planet in three months with an R 0 in the