Some Covid-19 positive patients did not experience any symptoms while infected. Nevertheless, weeks or months later, several studies show that asymptomatic people can have significant sequelae.
- Lung abnormalities were found months after they were infected in Diamond Princess passengers who had suffered from asymptomatic covid
- Cardiac abnormalities have also been reported as sequelae in asymptomatic Covid patients
The start of the Covid-19 epidemic was marked by the quarantine of the passengers of an entire liner infected with Covid-19. It was the Diamond Princess. On the 3,711 people on board, around 700 had been infected with the coronavirus. Seven died. A p-studypublished in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine followed 104 of these cruise passengers, of whom 74 were asymptomatic, that is to say positive for Covid-19 but without any symptoms. However, more than half of them, or nearly forty people, then presented with lung abnormalities, such as gray spots on the lungs. They were discovered during x-rays taken several weeks after the infection. “It is important to know if this constitutes a vulnerability or not“, valued Eric Topol, one of the authors. Consequences for these asymptomatic patients still little known but which could concern a very large number of people.
Several side effects seen in asymptomatic
And lung problems are not the only risks faced by people who have been asymptomatic. A study published in January 2021 highlighted the presence of blood clots which could cause thrombosis in some of these patients, without being able to explain the link with Covid-19. Another consequence: cardiac abnormalities. A study published in the journal JAMA in September 2020 explained that some asymptomatic had had an inflammation of the myocardium several weeks later. Heart infections, myocarditis or heart inflammation have also been reported. Finally, according to a study published in the same journal in 2021with three-quarters of the children having developed multisystem inflammatory syndrome weeks after their Covid-19 infection had been asymptomatic. This pathology is manifested by vomiting, diarrhea, fever, etc. But the most serious thing is that it can have long-term consequences on organs such as the heart or the lungs.
A major public health issue
The number of people who have been asymptomatic remains unknown. Especially at the start of the epidemic, they did not necessarily do PCR tests to be screened and may, even today, not know if they have been infected with this virus. However, these side effects could affect them, even several months later, and leave them with serious consequences. So far, scientists are unable to determine how long after having Covid-19 asymptomatic people can experience side effects. They also do not know precisely what types of pathologies they can develop. Research should therefore be carried out to better estimate all these side effects and to carry out, if necessary, prevention campaigns in order to protect the population in the long term from this epidemic.
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