Why is this? Covid-related

[klmama]

I remember in previous years reading that many people had flu virus in their noses and throats, but they didn't have symptoms and weren't considered "flu cases."  So, why are people who have Covid virus in their bodies, but never develop Covid symptoms and don't spread it, still considered Covid cases?  

Edited February 14, 2021 by klmama

[Shoeless]

Just guessing here, but I imagine it is because Covid is new and we are still trying to understand what bits of data are relevant to the spread of disease and what bits aren't. Since covid can spread asymptomatically, having virus in your nose is significant because you could spread it. 

I am not sure how significant asymptomatic spread of flu is.

 

[katilac]

Why would anyone ever be tested for the flu if they didn't have symptoms?

And how would it be known that asymptomatic people didn't spread covid? Our contact tracing is marginal at best. 

Edited February 14, 2021 by katilac
clarifying flu vs covid

[Corraleno]

Considering how few symptomatic flu cases are ever even verified by testing, I can't imagine there are very many people with no flu symptoms whatsoever who ask to be tested for it — why would they? The annual flu numbers that are put out by the CDC are guesstimates based on the number of "influenza-like" illnesses reported, only a small percentage of which are confirmed by testing. But nearly all the illnesses we're counting as "covid cases" were confirmed by testing, and the need for contact tracing and epidemiological modeling is clearly more critical for a new and deadly disease to which no one had immunity and for which there was no vaccine. 

ETA: And given how terrible testing was at the start of this, and how high the positivity rates have been, it seems likely that many, if not most, of the asymptomatic cases are going untested and uncounted.

Edited February 14, 2021 by Corraleno

[Ausmumof3]

41 minutes ago, klmama said:

I remember in previous years reading that many people had flu virus cells in their noses and throats, but they didn't have symptoms and weren't considered "flu cases."  So, why are people who have Covid cells in their bodies, but never develop Covid symptoms and don't spread it, still considered Covid cases?  

I think it’s the don’t spread it part that’s the issue - people without covid symptoms can spread it and we don’t know who does and who doesn’t.

[maize]

1 hour ago, klmama said:

I remember in previous years reading that many people had flu virus cells in their noses and throats, but they didn't have symptoms and weren't considered "flu cases."  So, why are people who have Covid cells in their bodies, but never develop Covid symptoms and don't spread it, still considered Covid cases?  

Research into asymptomatic influenza infection appears to be somewhat limited; we don't know to what extent asymptomatic influenza carriers spread the disease to others, and the rate of asymptomatic infection varies quite widely from one study to another.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4880086/

There is no wide-spread testing during a normal flu season comparable to the covid testing efforts of the past year, there is no meaningful comparison to be made there.

As a point of biological accuracy: viruses are not cells. There are no covid cells or flu cells. The correct term for a virus particle is a virion.

[klmama]

1 hour ago, maize said:

As a point of biological accuracy: viruses are not cells. There are no covid cells or flu cells. The correct term for a virus particle is a virion.

Oops.  I knew that.  Thanks.  I'll fix my original post.

[klmama]

oops

Edited February 14, 2021 by klmama

[BeachGal]

11 hours ago, MissLemon said:

Just guessing here, but I imagine it is because Covid is new and we are still trying to understand what bits of data are relevant to the spread of disease and what bits aren't. Since covid can spread asymptomatically, having virus in your nose is significant because you could spread it. 

I am not sure how significant asymptomatic spread of flu is.

 

We understand how flu spreads fairly well but not so much the Covid virus. It’s important to gather data now while infections are occurring. Researchers want to know whether asymptomatics are capable of spreading the virus and, if so, how much. Epidemiologists can then use this data to devise safety measures, such as wearing masks, even if people feel well, to potentially limit spread of Covid from asymptomatics to others.

The concern is not just that we need to protect vulnerable people but also that every time the virus infects someone, it has the potential to mutate into a new variant and then possibly even a new strain. Thankfully, coronaviruses tend to correct mutations within themselves. Ultimately, the more we understand, the better.