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Substantial Undocumented Infection Facilitates the Rapid Dissemination of Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)
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Substantial Undocumented Infection Facilitates the Rapid Dissemination of Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

Ruiyun Li, Sen Pei, Bin Chen, Yimeng Song, Tao Zhang, Wan Yang and Jeffrey Shaman
Science, 2020
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People who show no symptoms of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) must still adhere to local control measures, to ensure the protection of vulnerable human populations. As researchers found, the virus freely circulated for weeks in Wuhan City, China, spread by people who were largely asymptomatic. In fact, an astounding 79% of initial infections occurred due to exposure to undocumented viral carriers. This in some part accounts for the rapid global spread of SARS-CoV-2, and makes its containment extremely challenging.

Take-Aways

  • People who do not know they are carriers of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) can heavily contribute to its rapid spread.
  • People with undocumented infections often have mild or no discernable symptoms, but they can transmit the virus to large numbers of people.
  • After the virus was recognized in China, control measures such as rigorous testing, travel restrictions, protective gear, social distancing, and self-quarantines began.

About the Authors

Authors include Ruiyun Li, MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London; Sen Pei, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York; Bin Chen, Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis; Yimeng Song, Department of Urban Planning and Design, The University of Hong Kong; Tao Zhang, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing; Wan Yang, Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York; and Jeffrey Shaman, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York.

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