tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Int J Infect Dis
. 2020 Jun 17;S1201-9712(20)30487-2.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.06.052. Online ahead of print.
Asymptomatic Patients as a Source of COVID-19 Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Andreas Kronbichler[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Daniela Kresse[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Sojung Yoon[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Keum Hwa Lee[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Maria Effenberger[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Jae Il Shin[SUP] 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterised by an unpredictable disease course, ranging from asymptomatic infections to severe, life-threating manifestations. Asymptomatic COVID-19 infections have been described, and the aim of this systematic review was to summarise their presentation form.
Methods: We searched PubMed? and Google? (1 December 2019 to 29 March 2020) and extracted age, laboratory findings, and computed tomography (CT) investigations. Pooled incidence rates of clinical characteristics were analysed using random effects models.
Results: In total, 506 patients from 34 studies (68 single cases and 438 from case series) with an asymptomatic course were identified. Patients with normal radiology were younger (19.59 ? 17.17 years) than patients with abnormal radiology (39.14 ? 26.70 years) (p value = 0.013). Despite being asymptomatic, CT investigations revealed abnormalities in 62.2% of the cases and ground glass opacities were most frequently observed (43.09% by meta-analysis). Most studies reported normal laboratory findings (61.74% by meta-analysis).
Conclusions: More than half of patients without any symptoms present with CT abnormalities. Asymptomatic patients may be contagious and thus a potential source of transmission of COVID-19.
Keywords: Asymptomatic; Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19); Meta-analysis; SARS-CoV-2.
. 2020 Jun 17;S1201-9712(20)30487-2.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.06.052. Online ahead of print.
Asymptomatic Patients as a Source of COVID-19 Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Andreas Kronbichler[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Daniela Kresse[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Sojung Yoon[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Keum Hwa Lee[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Maria Effenberger[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Jae Il Shin[SUP] 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 32562846
- DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.06.052
Abstract
Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterised by an unpredictable disease course, ranging from asymptomatic infections to severe, life-threating manifestations. Asymptomatic COVID-19 infections have been described, and the aim of this systematic review was to summarise their presentation form.
Methods: We searched PubMed? and Google? (1 December 2019 to 29 March 2020) and extracted age, laboratory findings, and computed tomography (CT) investigations. Pooled incidence rates of clinical characteristics were analysed using random effects models.
Results: In total, 506 patients from 34 studies (68 single cases and 438 from case series) with an asymptomatic course were identified. Patients with normal radiology were younger (19.59 ? 17.17 years) than patients with abnormal radiology (39.14 ? 26.70 years) (p value = 0.013). Despite being asymptomatic, CT investigations revealed abnormalities in 62.2% of the cases and ground glass opacities were most frequently observed (43.09% by meta-analysis). Most studies reported normal laboratory findings (61.74% by meta-analysis).
Conclusions: More than half of patients without any symptoms present with CT abnormalities. Asymptomatic patients may be contagious and thus a potential source of transmission of COVID-19.
Keywords: Asymptomatic; Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19); Meta-analysis; SARS-CoV-2.