- More than 80% of infected passengers and crew on an expedition cruise ship did not show any symptoms, raising questions about the true prevalence of “silent” coronavirus infections, according to a new study.
- The three researchers said their findings emphasize the need for accurate global data on the true number of people, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, who have been infected with the coronavirus.
- The World Health Organization cautioned earlier Wednesday that it’s unknown whether people who have been infected with the coronavirus are at risk of becoming infected again.
A recently published article in CNBC elaborates that 80% of the passengers and crew infected with coronavirus on an expedition cruise ship did not show any symptoms.
It raises questions about the true prevalence of silent infections, according to a peer-reviewed study published Wednesday in Thorax.
Need for accurate global data
The three researchers said their findings emphasize the need for accurate global data on the number of people, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, who have been infected with the coronavirus.
The World Health Organization cautioned earlier Wednesday that it’s unknown whether people who have been infected with the coronavirus are at risk of becoming infected again.
Asymptomatic Covid-19 patients
Researchers have tried to determine the number of asymptomatic Covid-19 patients by conducting studies with antibody tests, which detect whether someone has previously been infected by the virus. However, such tests have been marred by accuracy concerns and it remains unclear how many asymptomatic carriers there are and how infectious they are.
The researchers’ findings come from observations aboard a 21-day expedition cruise to the Antarctic. All three researchers said they were aboard the ship, which set sail from Argentina in mid-March, after the WHO had declared the coronavirus a global pandemic. The researchers did not declare any funding for the study.
First case reported
After eight days aboard the ship, the first case of fever was reported, the researchers said. They added that the ship immediately adopted preventive measures, including confining passengers to their cabins, halting most daily services and requiring crew members to wear protective equipment.
Of the 217 passengers and crew who remained on the ship for the entirety of the voyage, 128 tested positive for the coronavirus, the researchers said. They added that of those who tested positive, 24 exhibited symptoms and 108, or 81%, did not.
High rate of false negatives
The researchers did not specify what test was used but noted that it had a high rate of false negatives, which might explain 10 situations in which passengers who shared the same cabin tested differently.
The researchers said their findings are especially significant for the cruise industry, which has been brought to a standstill by the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier this year, as the virus emerged, cruise ships in Japan and elsewhere became the sites of major outbreaks that led to onboard deaths and crew members quarantined at sea for weeks.
The industry is vying to return to service, led by the largest cruise operator in the world, Carnival Corp., which is slated to resume sailing on Aug. 1.
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Source: CNBC
