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Characteristics and management of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections

  • Mine Durusu Tanriover EMAIL logo , Anahita Fathi , Matthias Raspe , António Grilo Novais and Oğuz Abdullah Uyaroğlu
Published/Copyright: September 13, 2021
Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology
From the journal Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology Volume 33 Issue 1

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused and is still causing tremendous morbidity, mortality, and damage to our societies. The disease course of COVID-19 can be unpredictable ranging from asymptomatic infections to multi-organ failure and death. Transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) from an asymptomatic infected individual to others has been observed early in the pandemic. Asymptomatic individuals have been shown to have quantitative SARS-CoV-2 viral loads, there may or may not be radiological and/or laboratory abnormalities. No antiviral therapy has been approved for the treatment of asymptomatic SARS-CoV2- infection. The management of asymptomatic individuals at home requires that the person can be monitored for any signs and symptoms of deterioration and that the requirements for infection prevention and control measures can be fulfilled. It is crucial to properly diagnose and manage asymptomatic COVID-19 cases with effective testing, contact tracing, quarantine, and isolation strategies. Preventing asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections that have a major role in the unhindered transmission of the virus is a milestone to take control of the pandemic. Vaccination has been proven to be the crucial pillar for preventing asymptomatic infections and real-life data will continue to exhibit the effects of community vaccination in breaking the transmission chain of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Keywords: asymptomatic; COVID-19; management; pandemic; SARS-CoV-2
Corresponding author: Mine Durusu Tanriover, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey; and Department of Immunization Policies, Hacettepe University Vaccine Institute, Ankara, Turkey, Phone: +90 312 305 30 29, E-mail:

  1. Research funding: None declared.

  2. Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  3. Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.

  4. Informed consent: Not applicable.

  5. Ethical approval: Not applicable.

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Received: 2021-05-30
Accepted: 2021-08-24
Published Online: 2021-09-13

© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Minireviews
  3. Characteristics and management of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections
  4. Perspectives into the possible effects of the B.1.1.7 variant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on spermatogenesis
  5. Antibody-dependent enhancement of virus infection and disease: implications in COVID-19
  6. Reviews
  7. A new application of mTOR inhibitor drugs as potential therapeutic agents for COVID-19
  8. Increase in SARS-CoV-2 infected biomedical waste among low middle-income countries: environmental sustainability and impact with health implications
  9. A dossier on COVID-19 chronicle
  10. Vitamin supplementation as a potential adjunctive therapeutic approach for COVID-19: biological and clinical plausibility
  11. Original Articles
  12. COVID-19 infection in children with underlying malignancies in Iran
  13. Computational drug repurposing study of antiviral drugs against main protease, RNA polymerase, and spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 using molecular docking method
  14. COVID-19 disease in clinical setting: impact on gonadal function, transmission risk, and sperm quality in young males
  15. Hydroxychloroquine pre-exposure prophylaxis provides no protection against COVID-19 among health care workers: a cross-sectional study in a tertiary care hospital in North India
  16. Letter to the Editors
  17. The “Delta Plus” COVID-19 variant has evolved to become the next potential variant of concern: mutation history and measures of prevention
  18. Can sulfasalazine as an old drug with immunomodulatory and anti‐inflammatory effects be effective in COVID‐19?
  19. Using of calcium channel blockers in patients with COVID-19: a magic bullet or a double-edged sword?
https://doi.org/10.1515/jbcpp-2021-0159
Keywords for this article
asymptomatic; COVID-19; management; pandemic; SARS-CoV-2

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Minireviews
  3. Characteristics and management of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections
  4. Perspectives into the possible effects of the B.1.1.7 variant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on spermatogenesis
  5. Antibody-dependent enhancement of virus infection and disease: implications in COVID-19
  6. Reviews
  7. A new application of mTOR inhibitor drugs as potential therapeutic agents for COVID-19
  8. Increase in SARS-CoV-2 infected biomedical waste among low middle-income countries: environmental sustainability and impact with health implications
  9. A dossier on COVID-19 chronicle
  10. Vitamin supplementation as a potential adjunctive therapeutic approach for COVID-19: biological and clinical plausibility
  11. Original Articles
  12. COVID-19 infection in children with underlying malignancies in Iran
  13. Computational drug repurposing study of antiviral drugs against main protease, RNA polymerase, and spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 using molecular docking method
  14. COVID-19 disease in clinical setting: impact on gonadal function, transmission risk, and sperm quality in young males
  15. Hydroxychloroquine pre-exposure prophylaxis provides no protection against COVID-19 among health care workers: a cross-sectional study in a tertiary care hospital in North India
  16. Letter to the Editors
  17. The “Delta Plus” COVID-19 variant has evolved to become the next potential variant of concern: mutation history and measures of prevention
  18. Can sulfasalazine as an old drug with immunomodulatory and anti‐inflammatory effects be effective in COVID‐19?
  19. Using of calcium channel blockers in patients with COVID-19: a magic bullet or a double-edged sword?
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