Asymptomatic vs. Presymptomatic COVID carriers
OK, our masked heads are reeling. 😷 The WHO released (and then "walked back" on) a statement 2 days ago about how transmission of COVID from asymptomatic carriers is "very rare." So what does that mean? Do we all still need to wear masks or not? Can we lift shelter orders? 🤷🏻♀️
So the short answer is - Nothing has changed. The current recommendations still stand: Universal masking is still recommended 😷; we still need to wash our hands 🧼; and we still need to practice social distancing.
The key word here is "asymptomatic" - which refers to people who carry the virus 🦠 but exhibit no symptoms (and never do). My understanding is that the viral load in these patients are too low to produce symptoms and thus too low to be transmitted. These are the people the WHO was referring to in their original statement.
On the other hand, "PREsymptomatic" carriers are those who also carry the virus and are not exhibiting symptoms YET (but WILL, typically within 1 week of exposure 🤒). These patients may feel fine, but can spread the virus rampantly before realizing they are sick. 🦠
And so while asymptotmatic carriers may be less of a worry according to the WHO (great news!), presymptomatic carriers are still a concern, which is why universal masking and social distancing are still so so important for the protection of our communities and loved ones. ❤️