Until now, concerns about the spread of the new coronavirus have focused more on infected people, without symptoms. However, according to a WHO analysis, it would be the opposite …
Are asymptomatic people contagious or not? Until now, the health authorities have leaned strongly towards the yes. They were considered to be one of the main vectors of the coronavirus . Californian researchers published last June 3 in the medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine , that they represent up to 45% of infected people.Read also: Coronavirus: images of the Chinese hospital built in just ten days
However, a study by the World Health Organization (WHO) could completely shake up the Covid-19 pandemic strategy . After having analyzed the data to which it has had access since the beginning of the health crisis, in particular coming from countries having exhaustively followed the course of the patients and their contact cases, an astonishing conclusion appears: asymptomatic people would only very rarely transmit the virus.
This was stated in Geneva, Maria Van Kerkhove, the technical manager of WHO, during a press conference this Monday, June 8, 2020: “According to the data we have, it always seems rare that an asymptomatic person actually transmits to a secondary individual. “
Media briefing on #COVID19 with @DrTedros https://t.co/OpAU2fsxlR
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) June 8, 2020
Coronavirus: towards a total change of strategy?
For the time being, the results obtained remain only observations. Verification must be carried out in order to provide definitive proof. If the observation is correct, a change of method should be made.
To reduce the spread of the new coronavirus, efforts should be concentrated in identifying, monitoring and isolating symptomatic people. It would also cast doubt on social distancing measures, which would then be less relevant.
Nevertheless, they remain the only actions to have proven their effectiveness today.
