"Infectiousness Peaks 5 Days After Infection"
[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that most transmissions of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) occur through asymptomatic carriers.
On the 20th (local time), the CDC posted guidelines titled "Community Use of Cloth Masks to Control the Spread of COVID-19" on its website, stating, "Most COVID-19 infections are spread by people without symptoms," and "The CDC and other organizations estimate that over 50% of all infections come from asymptomatic individuals." This means that at least half of new infections arise from people who are unaware that they can infect others.
According to the CDC, among those who transmit the COVID-19 virus to others, 24% have no symptoms at all, 35% are in the pre-symptomatic stage, and the remaining 41% are symptomatic, experiencing symptoms such as coughing and high fever.
The CDC said that the infectiousness is strongest five days after infection. When the infected person has no symptoms, 51% of COVID-19 transmission occurs. Assuming the asymptomatic infection rate is 24-30% and infectiousness peaks between days 4 and 6 of infection, the proportion of transmission from asymptomatic infections could increase up to 70%.
The CDC explained that 40-45% of COVID-19 infected individuals do not experience any symptoms at all.
The CDC emphasized the necessity of mask usage, stating that "cloth masks alone can effectively block infections."
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