Most COVID transmission is still asymptomatic--study

Most COVID transmission is still asymptomatic A significant proportion of COVID-19 transmission is asymptomatic or presymptomatic -- potentially as high as 60%, according to a modeling study. ABC News ABC News

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A significant proportion of COVID-19 transmission is asymptomatic or presymptomatic -- potentially as high as 60%, according to a 2021 JAMA Network Open modeling study.

That may be even higher now, as early reports have signaled a greater percentage of asymptomatic infections from omicron than from previous variants. That could have a lot to do with higher baseline levels of immunity in the population when that variant hit, Dr. Helen Chu, an infectious diseases physician at the University of Washington School of Medicine, told MedPage Today.

Chu said the more exposure to COVID-19 that an individual has -- either in terms of prior infection or vaccination -- the broader the immunity and the better the ability to control the virus. In such cases, an individual is more likely to be asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, she said.

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