More Rationale for Proactive Testing: One Third of COVID-19 Patients Are Asymptomatic

Schools, workplaces, and health clubs have developed screening processes to try to keep their doors open while also minimizing risk to staff and constituents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Questions about shortness of breath, fever, and other symptoms may actually pointless, however, as new research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reveals that at least one third of patients with COVID-19 may be asymptomatic. On a societal level, this calls into question whether it’s wise to keep “opening up” while cases in some regions continue to rise. However, seeing as how new variants of the virus are proving to be more contagious than the original form of the virus, it also bolsters the idea that people should be tested whether they have any symptoms are not. Ensure you have all the testing supplies you need. And prepare to be assertive in asking patients if they’ve been tested. Even if they have, ask what their daily routines are like. If they come into contact with people they don’t live with regularly, it may be time to be tested again.