July 22, 2020

Proportion of Asymptomatic Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19): A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Clinical Characteristics and Health Care Setting

• A systematic review (41 studies, 50,155 cases) found a pooled estimate that 16% of SARS-CoV-2 cases are asymptomatic across all age groups, with a higher percentage of asymptomatic children (28%). In a subset of initially asymptomatic patients (n=180) who were followed over time, 49% subsequently developed symptoms. The authors noted significant heterogeneity between study estimates of these measures. 

He et al. (July 21, 2020). Proportion of Asymptomatic Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19): A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis. Journal of Medical Virology. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.26326