Asymptomatic COVID-19 Infection: Infectivity of Omicron & Preventions

The recent flow of the Omicron virus has led to a significant increase in the proportion of asymptomatic infection, accounting for the majority of new cases. What is causing this? How are asymptomatic infections detected? How contagious is it? What should we do to prevent it?

What is an Asymptomatic Infection?

Asymptomatic infected individuals who tested positive for novel coronavirus nucleic acid, but did not have a range of signs and symptoms such as sore throat, fever, malaise, dry cough, or loss of smell, as well as no evidence of pneumonia on CT images.

There are three reasons for the current increase in asymptomatic infections and mild cases. First, the Omicron strain itself is relatively mild. Second, it is the effect of vaccination. People infected with the covid-19 vaccine are more likely to have only mild symptoms or even no symptoms. Third, we have taken a series of effective preventive and control measures to avoid infection or to be detected quickly after infection to prevent disease progression.

How are Asymptomatic Infections Detected?

Asymptomatic infections are usually found by tracing close contacts of patients. The traced asymptomatic infections are mainly in the following two situations:

The first situation is that his/her disease may not yet develop, that is, during the incubation period, especially the middle and late incubation period, the nucleic acid test is positive.

2 Alternatively, he/she may have mild symptoms and then heal on their own. During the recovery period, positive antibody or nucleic acid test may occur, which will also be classified as asymptomatic infection.

How Infectious are Asymptomatic Infections?

Asymptomatic infected individuals do not necessarily have less respiratory virus than symptomatic ones, and the ability of a novel coronavirus infection to spread depends on its own viral load and its ability to spread infectious droplets. Asymptomatic infected individuals are less infectious because they do not have symptoms such as coughing and coughing and excrete less virus from the respiratory tract.

It can be said with certainty that asymptomatic infected persons are infectious only because the infected persons are asymptomatic and their infectiousness cannot be measured directly. Therefore, asymptomatic infected persons should also be screened for close contacts, sub-close contacts, and high-risk groups, and appropriate on-site control measures should be taken. The same control and screening are conducted for close contacts, sub-close contacts of asymptomatic infected persons, close contacts and sub-close contacts of confirmed cases.

Currently, asymptomatic infected individuals do not require specific treatment. In the future, small-molecule antiviral drugs may be used for asymptomatic infected people once they become available. What infected people should do is to get enough rest and recover as soon as possible.

How Can We Protect Ourselves From Omicron?

• Get a covid-19 vaccine
• Wearing a mask in public
• Wash your hands regularly
• More indoor ventilation
• Less gathering
• Exercise more