Group 1 Patients – Subclinical

Transcript

Current information suggests that in general, COVID-19 positive patients can be divided into four groups based on severity of symptoms, treatment approaches, and potential outcome. We know that the majority of patients, up to 85%, will have mild to moderate symptoms and fully recover. But as we learn more about the disease process, we also understand that the respiratory symptoms, particularly the atypical viral pneumonia, is perhaps the most life-threatening complication. This first group of patients or individuals that we call subclinical, which means that their symptoms are so subtle and so mild that many patients don’t even identify what they’re feeling as symptoms at all. These patients typically had no disruption to their daily activities and require little to no intervention in the way of treatment. The challenge with this group is that they are able to very easily transmit the virus despite having virtually no symptoms. And this is largely because their symptoms are not at all disruptive to their day to day lives. In this group, it’s particularly important to observe social distancing and all of the other well-documented practices to reduce transmission such as hand washing, avoiding touching our faces, keeping inanimate surfaces clean and avoiding unnecessary and non-essential travel including work, if at all possible. Under the current testing guidance from the CDC and the World Health Organization, it’s not likely that these patients will be tested, which only adds to the challenge. Again, it stresses the importance of the role that all of us play in flattening the curve and reducing the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to other people.