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Transmission of the novel coronavirus by people who aren’t showing symptoms is “very rare,” theWorld Health Organization said, contradicting awidely held belief among health officials and researchers that the disease was being spread by people who weren’t showing signs of illness.
“It still appears to be rare that an asymptomatic person actually transmits onward to a secondary individual,” Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO’s emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, said at a briefing in Geneva. She said her comment is based on detailed reports of contact tracing from various countries.
More research is needed to confirm the roles that so-called asymptomatic cases and pre-symptomatic cases play in spreading the disease. But if proven correct, the development could have a major impact on how health officials and governments approach the battle to contain the pandemic. Uncertainty over how the virus behaves has hindered nations’ efforts to re-open their battered economies.
17,250 in U.S.Most new cases today
-5% Change in MSCI World Index of global stocks since Wuhan lockdown, Jan. 23
-0.8906 Change in U.S. treasury bond yield since Wuhan lockdown, Jan. 23
-2.3% Global GDP Tracker (annualized), May