THE ASYMPTOMATIC SPREADERS

According to Dr G V Rao, director at the Asian Institute of

Gastroenterology and chief of surgical gastroenterology, GI oncology, transplantation services and minimally invasive surgery, the pandemic has been driven by asymptomatic infections.

In other words, the disease is spread by people — mostly youngsters — displaying no signs of COVID-19, frequenting public places or gathering in groups, and spreading the infection in their homes.

Pointing out the challenges in containing their contribution in further spreading the disease, Dr

Rao says, “The estimated proportion of asymptomatic infections ranges from 18% to 81%.”

He talks about a study published in the journal The

Lancet which speaks of evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is predominantly transmitted through air.

Sharing his thoughts on reducing the transmission, he adds, “If the infection passes through large respiratory droplets that fall quickly, one can take control measures like reducing physical contact, cleaning surfaces, social distancing, wearing masks and protection. However, if an infectious virus is airborne, an infected person exhaling, speaking, shouting, singing, sneezing, or coughing could infect an individual,” he says.

Thankfully, however, there is a better understanding of asymptomatic infections and transmission of COVID-19. Even so, Dr Rao advises, “To reduce airborne transmission one should avoid inhaling infectious aerosols, reducing time in gatherings and indoors. One should keep using masks and higher-grade protection for health-care staff and frontline workers whenever indoors.”

The pandemic has been driven by asymptomatic infections. In other words, the disease is spread by people — mostly youngsters — displaying no signs of COVID-19, frequenting public places or gathering in groups, and spreading the infection in their homes. The estimated proportion of asymptomatic infections ranges from 18% to 81%.”

“To reduce airborne transmission one should avoid inhaling infectious aerosols, reducing time in gatherings and indoors. One should keep using masks and higher-grade protection for health-care staff and frontline workers whenever indoors.”

— Dr G V Rao, director at the AIG

Earlier, patients reported fever, loss of taste and smell and body pain. Now, many patients report more severe symptoms including pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), severe breathlessness, chest pain, persistent coughing, hearing loss, muscle pain, skin infections, mucormycosis, distorted vision, stomach upset and conjunctivitis.