January 15, 2021

The Epidemiological and Radiographical Characteristics of Asymptomatic Infections with the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Clinical Characteristics and Health Care Setting

Keywords (Tags): clinical characteristics

A systematic review and meta-analysis (104 studies, n=20,152 participants) found that 13.3% of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection were asymptomatic, though there was substantial variation between studies (I²=95%). Children were more likely to be asymptomatic than adults (32% vs. 10%). More than 47% of asymptomatic individuals who had chest imaging had abnormal lung findings. 

Chen et al. (Jan 2021). The Epidemiological and Radiographical Characteristics of Asymptomatic Infections with the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2021.01.017