Does anyone know where to look up what percentage of people testing positive exhibit no symptoms? Anecdotally, all of the people I've heard of testing positive lately have been asymptomatic, including hospitalized patients who were tested per protocol.

Not sure they even track it that deep.

If you take the data from some of the group-wide tests you have seen in the sports world (like Clemson having 20+ test positive with no symptoms), it's likely a massive majority of cases.

I seem to recall Italy concluding that it was over 50%. But it was even higher among those under age 60 (If I'm remembering their age threshold correctly).

I think they really dropped the ball on getting information such as asymptomatic versus pre symptomatic With all the testing that's been done. Anecdotally from the local urgent care my friend runs there's a good % (her guess was 60%) that's asymptomatic but unsure if pre-symptomatic or truly going to be asymptomatic.

Asymptomatic people are less likely to pass on the virus to the public, correct?

texan12 said:

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Asymptomatic people are less likely to pass on the virus to the public, correct?

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Some evidence suggests they're "less likely" to infect others than symptomatic people, but that doesn't necessarily mean "unlikely"

lazuras_dc said:

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I think they really dropped the ball on getting information such as asymptomatic versus pre symptomatic With all the testing that's been done. Anecdotally from the local urgent care my friend runs there's a good % (her guess was 60%) that's asymptomatic but unsure if pre-symptomatic or truly going to be asymptomatic.

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Who is "they"?

There are a few required pieces of information on a questionaire when most tests are taken, but many people don't pay enough attention to fill them out correctly. A couple of those questions deal with known exposures and current symptoms. So there is data available to see who among those testing positve were exhibiting symptoms at the time.

But re-contact of people by researchers is not allowed unless explicitely stated in a signed release. And for obvious reasons you cannot make it even percievable that your participation in research could impact your ability to get a test result. So, unfortunately, it's not possible in most cases to figure out the proportion of people who had no symptoms at the time they were tested, but who then went on to develop symptoms later.

texan12 said:

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Asymptomatic people are less likely to pass on the virus to the public, correct?

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Make sure you don't confuse the asymptomatic with those who just haven't shown symptoms yet.

Marcus Aurelius said:

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I've read a paper citing this data. Don't have reference off hand. It was 50%.

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I wonder how many have relatively mild symptoms but don't recognize those symptoms as being symptoms of covid-19.

eidetic78 said:

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lazuras_dc said:

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I think they really dropped the ball on getting information such as asymptomatic versus pre symptomatic With all the testing that's been done. Anecdotally from the local urgent care my friend runs there's a good % (her guess was 60%) that's asymptomatic but unsure if pre-symptomatic or truly going to be asymptomatic.

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Who is "they"?

There are a few required pieces of information on a questionaire when most tests are taken, but many people don't pay enough attention to fill them out correctly. A couple of those questions deal with known exposures and current symptoms. So there is data available to see who among those testing positve were exhibiting symptoms at the time.

But re-contact of people by researchers is not allowed unless explicitely stated in a signed release. And for obvious reasons you cannot make it even percievable that your participation in research could impact your ability to get a test result. So, unfortunately, it's not possible in most cases to figure out the proportion of people who had no symptoms at the time they were tested, but who then went on to develop symptoms later.

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I don't know which is why I said "they". I don't know how the system works. I mean to say anyone whos keeping track and/or testing. From Government agencies, local county health officials to private clinics Or whoever is keeping the "master log" of cases.
I'm sure it's a logistical nightmare ...
I mean my county tracks "recovered cases" so I'm sure some kind of follow up after positive tests for symptoms or a negative test is happening. So if someone pops positive and is asymptomatic wouldn't there be some kind of follow up system to determine if they develop symptoms later either to know if they are recovered and or asymptomatic the whole time?

The reason being, saying 60% asymptomatic but half of those were just pre symptomatic sounds to me pretty misleading. Not sure what it affects. Maybe just peace of mind.

Marcus Aurelius said:

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I've read a paper citing this data. Don't have reference off hand. It was 50%.

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Recent data from an isolated population, testing all members of the crew and passengers of one of those cruise ships, 81% were asymptomatic.

https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2020/06/09/thoraxjnl-2020-215091

That is a lot more than the percentage of asymptomatic on the Roosevelt carrier (18%). But honestly don't trust sailors to report data correctly.

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6923e4.htm?s_cid=mm6923e4_w

Marcus Aurelius said:

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I've read a paper citing this data. Don't have reference off hand. It was 50%.

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Recent data from an isolated population, testing all members of the crew and passengers of one of those cruise ships, 81% were asymptomatic.

https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2020/06/09/thoraxjnl-2020-215091

That is a lot more than the percentage of asymptomatic on the Roosevelt carrier (18%). But honestly don't trust sailors to report data correctly.

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6923e4.htm?s_cid=mm6923e4_w

lazuras_dc said:

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eidetic78 said:

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lazuras_dc said:

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I think they really dropped the ball on getting information such as asymptomatic versus pre symptomatic With all the testing that's been done. Anecdotally from the local urgent care my friend runs there's a good % (her guess was 60%) that's asymptomatic but unsure if pre-symptomatic or truly going to be asymptomatic.

---

Who is "they"?

There are a few required pieces of information on a questionaire when most tests are taken, but many people don't pay enough attention to fill them out correctly. A couple of those questions deal with known exposures and current symptoms. So there is data available to see who among those testing positve were exhibiting symptoms at the time.

But re-contact of people by researchers is not allowed unless explicitely stated in a signed release. And for obvious reasons you cannot make it even percievable that your participation in research could impact your ability to get a test result. So, unfortunately, it's not possible in most cases to figure out the proportion of people who had no symptoms at the time they were tested, but who then went on to develop symptoms later.

---

I don't know which is why I said "they". I don't know how the system works. I mean to say anyone whos keeping track and/or testing. From Government agencies, local county health officials to private clinics Or whoever is keeping the "master log" of cases.
I'm sure it's a logistical nightmare ...
I mean my county tracks "recovered cases" so I'm sure some kind of follow up after positive tests for symptoms or a negative test is happening. So if someone pops positive and is asymptomatic wouldn't there be some kind of follow up system to determine if they develop symptoms later either to know if they are recovered and or asymptomatic the whole time?

The reason being, saying 60% asymptomatic but half of those were just pre symptomatic sounds to me pretty misleading. Not sure what it affects. Maybe just peace of mind.

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Even "recovered cases" isn't defined the same way everywhere. There is no re-contact for that either. They aren't actually checking on people to calculate those numbers.

Most places just go back 30 days and look at confirmed positive cases, and then look at death certificates. If you tested positive 30 days ago, and haven't died, you are assumed to have recovered and go in the recovered column.

eric76 said:

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Make sure you don't confuse the asymptomatic with those who just haven't shown symptoms yet.

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Who's confused, here?

Disclaimer: not a health professional, but I speak English