coronavirus

New Research Adds to Growing Evidence for Asymptomatic Spread of COVID-19

"Even if we're seemingly healthy, we have to wear masks" to reduce the risk of asymptomatic spread, Dr. William Schaffner said

NBC Universal, Inc.

Two studies published Tuesday shed light on the so-called silent spread of COVID-19, NBC News reports.

One study, published in the journal Thorax, reports that asymptomatic people can carry as much virus in their noses and throats as people showing symptoms of the illness. The second study, a review published in Plos Medicine, found that while the majority of infected individuals do develop symptoms, they may test positive before those symptoms begin.

Taken together, the research underscores the need for preventive measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

"Even if we're seemingly healthy, we have to wear masks" to reduce the risk of asymptomatic spread, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, said.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com

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