OREANDA-NEWS. The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has an unexpected property that they believe is making it difficult to stop the pandemic. The fewer the symptoms of COVID-19 an infected patient has, the more viral particles he releases into the surrounding space. The greatest viral load, and therefore the danger to others, is characteristic precisely for asymptomatic carriers. Information about this surprising finding is in a scientific article published in the journal Infection.

For the study, scientists examined 60 patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of COVID-19. Of these, 15 people, that is, 25% of all participants, were asymptomatic carriers of the virus, and the rest showed symptoms of varying severity.

The researchers took samples of saliva, urine, blood and rectal fluid from each subject. Also, swabs were taken from the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and oral cavity.

The researchers were surprised that viral loads were highest in asymptomatic patients, lower in those with mild symptoms, and even lower in those with severe symptoms.

Asymptomatic carriers spread the virus without knowing they are contagious. And this is very bad in itself. But now it turned out that each "asymptomatic" also spreads more viral particles around him than a patient with symptoms. This means that contact with asymptomatic carriers is doubly dangerous.

Scientists note that the data obtained should be verified on large samples of patients. But, if they are confirmed, it will help explain why the pandemic is so actively moving around the world, despite all the measures taken by the authorities and ordinary people.