Secondary Transmission of Coronavirus Disease from Presymptomatic Persons, China

Emerg Infect Dis. 2020 Aug;26(8):1924-1926. doi: 10.3201/eid2608.201142. Epub 2020 May 26.

Abstract

We explored the secondary attack rate in different types of contact with persons presymptomatic for coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Close contacts who lived with or had frequent contact with an index case-patient had a higher risk for COVID-19. Our findings provide population-based evidence for transmission from persons with presymptomatic COVID-19 infections.

Keywords: 2019 novel coronavirus disease; COVID-19; China; SARS; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus disease; coronavirus secondary transmission; presymptomatic; respiratory infections; secondary attack rate; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viruses; zoonoses.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Asymptomatic Diseases
  • Betacoronavirus / pathogenicity*
  • COVID-19
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • China / epidemiology
  • Contact Tracing / statistics & numerical data*
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Coronavirus Infections / transmission*
  • Family Characteristics
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / transmission*
  • Risk Factors
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Time Factors