Now that enough time has passed, results of studies are coming out about those who have had the Coronavirus. Some of the research is showing that asymptomatic people with Covid-19 shed the virus for less time (8 days versus 19 for those with symptoms) and unsurprisingly suffer less damage to their immune systems than those who had symptoms. What it has also revealed is that a whopping 42% of those who were studied in Wuhan and tested positive never showed symptoms. Another study released about cruise ship passengers where an outbreak occurred showed 81% of those who tested positive never showed symptoms. This is telling us that more people are asymptomatic than was first believed. What does this mean to you? This virus might be more present in your surroundings than you are thinking. If you look at the number of cases in Southern Oregon, we appear to not have the epidemic other cities are battling, but this virus might be quietly lurking anywhere you go. Covid-19 is more deadly than the usual annual flu. If you are in a high risk group, you should exercise caution. Staying home and avoiding close contact with others are still the best ways to protect yourself, although for some this is difficult. At the very least, keep your hands washed, lathering for 20 seconds, and avoid touching your face. We will go over the recommended ways of minimizing your exposure and protecting others in our next blog. Here is an article that discusses the research about asymptomatic survivors here:
https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2020/06/01/asymptomatic-patients
