Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Household Contacts of a Healthcare Provider, Wuhan, China

Emerg Infect Dis. 2020 Aug;26(8):1930-1933. doi: 10.3201/eid2608.201016. Epub 2020 Apr 24.

Abstract

We found that all 5 asymptomatic household contacts of a Wuhan, China, physician with coronavirus disease had severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 detected by PCR. The index patient and 2 contacts also had abnormal chest computed tomography scans. Asymptomatic infected household contacts of healthcare workers with coronavirus disease might be underrecognized.

Keywords: 2019 novel coronavirus disease; COVID-19; China; SARS-CoV-2; Wuhan; asymptomatic; coronavirus disease; healthcare workers; household contacts; respiratory infections; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viruses; zoonoses.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Asymptomatic Diseases
  • Betacoronavirus / pathogenicity
  • Betacoronavirus / physiology*
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Testing
  • Child
  • China / epidemiology
  • Clinical Laboratory Techniques / methods
  • Contact Tracing
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Coronavirus Infections / transmission*
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Family Characteristics
  • Female
  • Health Personnel
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / transmission*
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed