People who were asymptomatic accounted for 86pc of the people who tested positive for Covid-19 in a UK sample population during lockdown, a study showed on Thursday, meaning the current policy of testing people with symptoms might miss many cases. Of the 115 with a positive result, only 16 reported symptoms, with 99 not reporting any specific symptoms on the day of the test. Moreover, 142 people who reported symptoms on the day of the test did not test positive for Covid-19, vastly outnumbering those who tested positive. The authors noted that other studies showed different results, with one in China suggesting just 5pc of cases were asymptomatic, and a study in Iceland suggesting 43 cases out of 100 had no symptoms. They added that the sampling used in any study was likely to be a factor in its findings.

Source: Irish Independent October 08, 2020 15:32 UTC