Since the onset of the epidemic, on average, the infection has been without symptoms in 20% of those infected, and the disease has been detected because people had been tested because of epidemiological indications – had known contacts or had returned from abroad, the SPKC representative said.
However, the proportion of asymptomatic cases changed over different periods. During the first outbreak of COVID-19 in the spring, out of all cases, about 15% were without symptoms.
In the summer, up to 31% had no symptoms, while in the last three weeks the proportion of symptomatic cases has increased and only 23% of those infected have no signs of disease.
Jurijs Perevoščikovs explained that this was related to the spread of the disease and the age of the patients, the older people are ill, the more likely symptoms and severe symptoms are. In addition, there was a more targeted checkup on people with symptoms in the spring because the testing capacity was limited.
In the summer, however, the situation changed, free tests became available, and the infected people travelled mostly from abroad during the summer and were a younger and more active part of society.
Meanwhile, in the autumn, the disease spread more rapidly and, accordingly, more cases of symptoms are likely to occur.
The SPKC also said in a statement to the media that the “Stop COVID” (Apturi Covid) application helps to limit the disease. Almost 155 000 people have downloaded the app so far.
“At present nearly 30 people with COVID-19 who have been using this app have activated the code in the mobile application, thereby alerting their contacts to COVID-19 in time,” informed Elina Dimina, head of the SPKC's Disease Surveillance and Immunization Division.
