New data from the CDC shows that more than half of COVID-19 transmissions come from people who don’t even know they have it.
A new model shows that 59% of all transfers come from asymptomatic carriers. That includes 35% of people who were presymptomatic and 24% who never developed symptoms.
“It’s really a sign that a person’s immune system has not yet responded to the virus entering the body, that’s a possibility,” said UNC Dr. Alexa Mieses Malchuk. “It may be that the person being tested has not yet developed symptoms, the other possibility is that the person’s immune system reacts a little differently to the virus and will never develop symptoms.”
Experts tell us that asymptomatic spread is one of the biggest challenges in slowing spread.
Dr. Cameron Wolfe, an infectious disease expert, says this data reminds us that we should all follow the advice of the medical community.
“That’s why masks and distance are so important,” said Wolfe. “You can’t rely on your own symptoms to base your decisions.”
Wolfe stressed the importance of sticking to what works, washing hands, wearing a mask and keeping your distance. He also recalled that there are no shortcuts to get through this.
“You can’t test yourself out of this problem,” Wolfe said. ‘We are all tired. Heck, no one is immune to that, but we have to keep pushing that line and this asymptomatic data really proves that. We have to do better. “