Update: The paper that was the subject of this story was based on faulty information. More here.
People showing no symptoms appear to be able to spread the novel coronavirus that has caused an outbreak in China and led world health authorities to declare a global emergency, researchers reported Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine. If confirmed, the finding will make it much harder to contain the virus.
The case described — from Germany — could help resolve one of the major unknowns about the virus, which as of Thursday night had infected nearly 9,700 people in China and killed 213. About 100 more infections have been reported in 18 other countries, but no deaths.
Some viruses, including SARS, which is another coronavirus, can only be passed when a person is showing symptoms. Others, like the flu, can be spread a day or two before the onset of symptoms. If people are contagious before they become sick, they can be unknowingly spreading the virus as they go shopping or to work or to the movies. Trying to snuff out the virus in that case is a much more difficult task.
What’s also concerning is that the spread from an asymptomatic person appeared to lead to two generations of cases, meaning the person who contracted the virus then passed it on to others.
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The infection described in the new paper involved a woman from Shanghai who traveled to Germany for a business trip from Jan. 19 to Jan. 22 and displayed no signs of the disease, which include cough and fever. She only became sick on her flight back to China, and was confirmed on Jan. 26 to have the virus, known provisionally as 2019-nCoV.
On Jan. 24, however, a 33-year-old German businessman who had had meetings with the woman on Jan. 20 and 21, developed a sore throat, chills, and muscle soreness, with a fever and cough arriving the following day. He began to feel better and returned to work Jan. 27.
After the woman was found to have the virus back in China, disease detectives went to work, getting in touch with people who had been in touch with the woman — including the German businessman, who by then had recovered and appeared healthy during an examination in Munich. Tests, however, showed he had the virus.
On Jan. 28, three coworkers of the businessman tested positive for the virus. Only one of these patients had contact with the woman from Shanghai; the other two only had contact with the German man.
All four patients in Germany were isolated in hospitals and have not shown any signs of severe illness.
“The fact that asymptomatic persons are potential sources of 2019-nCoV infection may warrant a reassessment of transmission dynamics of the current outbreak,” the experts wrote.
Germany is one of four countries, along with Vietnam, Japan, and, as of Thursday, the United States, to report limited local transmission of the virus outside of China. The large majority of cases outside China were identified in people who had picked up the virus in China and then traveled to other countries.
The increasing risk the virus seems to be posing to countries outside of China led the World Health Organization on Thursday to declare a public health emergency of international concern, or PHEIC.
Until now, there was some debate whether asymptomatic transmission of the coronavirus was possible. Health officials in China said last weekend that they had seen evidence of such spread, but U.S. health officials and leaders at the World Health Organization had repeatedly said that was a question they were still trying to answer.
Even if asymptomatic people can spread the virus, they may be less likely to than people who are sneezing and coughing — routes for the virus to jump from one person to another.
Helen Branswell contributed reporting.
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Only Chaina The country which are caught tightly by corona virus because they are killing the innocent Muslims. If they stop it Allah may help them from this destruction.
what are the signs.
It started as a flu to me..felt cold and weak..I bought some medicine which is flumix,flu stat and DHP.later on my throat started swelling and very painful..I am not able to eat I went to the chemist but still pain at my throat …now there is that try ness on my throat I don’t think its flu again I have no mucus ..I need help
At one point airports were testing people’s temps. If they they had no temp they let them in. I could never figure out this strategy because these people might have been in incubation period and not display any symptoms but may have very well come down with the virus days later. Did they change the criteria?
Based on news updates from ABC (CDC), today the ninth U.S. case of the new coronavirus originated in central China was confirmed in California, the Centers for Disease Control reported Sunday. “The death toll in China has reached 304, and the number of people infected worldwide has climbed past 14,550, the vast majority of them in China. The first death outside of China was reported Sunday in the Philippines.” (https://abc7.com/5899010/.)
According to World Health Organization travel bans to limit the spread of the new coronavirus from China could backfire and lead to a worsening of the epidemic worldwide.
“WHO emergency committee in the recently time also declared the coronavirus a global public health threat on Thursday, triggering a series of recommendations aimed at limiting the spread of the deadly disease.’ WHO does not recommend any restrictions on travel and trade despite the rapid acceleration of the disease inside China and its steady, but relentless growth worldwide. More than 100 cases are reported in 22 other countries.
“In response, some airlines have stopped flying to mainland China. The United States, which has declared the coronavirus a public health emergency, says it will deny entry to foreigners who recently visited China. Australia says it will take similar action.” WHO spokesman, Christian Lindmeier, says closing borders will not keep out the virus.
I am curious about the incubation period of Coronavirus is for up to 14 days, why are the newly evacuated people from China allowed to leave isolation after only 3 days? However, based on your post that coronavirus can be spread by people that have no symptoms during the 14 days the incubation period. This doesn’t make sense if you are trying to prevent transmission to the general population.
https://www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/curbs-travelers-china-limit-spread-coronavirus-could-backfire
I was fit in the morning but by late afternoon I was feeling weak, fatigue and headache, I ignored thinking I am tired after traveling in a bus, I went and had dinner outside but I was more weak by the time I finished dinner and found it a bit difficult to lift myself up. I went home and suddenly I started shivering and shaking violently, I usually use one quilt but tonight I am using three quilts and in a matter of hours my temperature shot up but I was still inside my quilt. Was sensing sharp pain under my left boob intermittently. I didn’t take any over the counter drug but I had some juice and now I am a little better, temperature is getting low. I don’t have a congested chest,stuffy/ runny nose, sore throat etc, just a bad body and headache with temperature which is getting better now. Should I go for a check up tomorrow. I am from Kolkata, India.
You should visit your doctor as soon as any suspicion raised up.
I have about the same symptoms. Headaches, fatigue, same pain under my boobs last night when I went to bed. My nose is a little runny but nothing too alarming. Let us know if you check up.
I have a lot of the same symptoms… I started with the flu, felt better, got a cold, and so much more it’s crazy
What are the exact symptoms of this disease?
Idk
HIE…am in Botswana and i have itchy nose…… just realized slight blood in the mucus. Thank you!
how fast does this disease spreads?is Africa also at a high threat of the disease