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Occurrence and transmission potential of asymptomatic and presymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections: A living systematic review and meta-analysis

PLoS Medicine · 2020 · Vol. 17(9) · pp. e1003346–e1003346

Diana Buitrago‐García(University of Bern)Dianne Egli-Gany(University of Bern)Michel Jacques Counotte(University of Bern)Stefanie Hossmann(University of Bern)Hira Imeri(University of Bern)Aziz Mert Ipekci(University of Bern)Georgia Salanti(University of Bern)Nicola Low✉(University of Bern)

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Abstract

The findings of this living systematic review suggest that most people who become infected with SARS-CoV-2 will not remain asymptomatic throughout the course of the infection. The contribution of presymptomatic and asymptomatic infections to overall SARS-CoV-2 transmission means that combination prevention measures, with enhanced hand hygiene, masks, testing tracing, and isolation strategies and social distancing, will continue to be needed.

SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies SARS-CoV-2 detection and testingTransmission (telecommunications)Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Meta-analysisAsymptomaticMedicineCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)PandemicVirology2019-20 coronavirus outbreakBetacoronavirus

MeSH terms

BetacoronavirusCOVID-19SARS-CoV-2HumansMass ScreeningPneumonia, ViralCoronavirus InfectionsDisease ProgressionReverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain ReactionAsymptomatic DiseasesAsymptomatic InfectionsPandemics