Gao W J, Li L M
School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi. 2020 Apr 10;41(4):485-488. doi: 10.3760/cma.j.cn112338-20200228-00207.
COVID-19 is rapidly spreading. Patients in incubation period and healthy carriers are possible sources for transmission. However, such sources of infection cannot be effectively identified due to the symptoms absent. The research evidence is very lacking so far, although there are a few studies suggesting that presymptomatic or asymptomatic carrier may cause COVID-19 transmission. Nearly half of the literature is in the state of preprint without peer review. The question of "the degree to which presymptomatic or asymptomatic infections can transmit" is not fully understood. There is an urgent need to screen infected carriers in larger close contacts or in the general population, and assess their risk for transmission.
新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）正在迅速传播。潜伏期患者和健康携带者是可能的传染源。然而，由于没有症状，这些传染源无法被有效识别。尽管有一些研究表明，症状出现前或无症状的携带者可能导致COVID-19传播，但目前的研究证据仍然非常匮乏。近一半的文献处于未经同行评审的预印本状态。“症状出现前或无症状感染的传播程度”这一问题尚未完全明确。迫切需要在更大范围的密切接触者或普通人群中筛查受感染的携带者，并评估其传播风险。
