Since the beginning of the pandemic of COVID-19, there has been a widespread assumption that most infected persons are asymptomatic. Using data from the recent wave of the EPICOVID19 study, a nationwide household-based survey including 133 cities from all states of Brazil, we estimated the proportion of people with and without antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 who were asymptomatic, which symptoms were most frequently reported, number of symptoms and the association with socio-demographic characteristics. We tested 33,205 subjects using a rapid antibody test previously validated. Information was collected before participants received the test result. Out of 849 (2.7%) participants positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, only 12.1% (95% CI 10.1–14.5) reported no symptoms, compared to 42.2% (95% CI 41.7–42.8) among those negative. The largest difference between the two groups was observed for changes in smell/taste (56.5% versus 9.1%, a 6.2-fold difference). Changes in smell/taste, fever and body aches were most likely to predict positive tests as suggested by recursive partitioning tree analysis. Among individuals without any of these three symptoms, only 0.8% tested positive, compared to 18.3% of those with both fever and changes in smell or taste. Most subjects with antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 are symptomatic, even though most present only mild symptoms.
【저자키워드】 viral infection, fatigue, Respiratory signs and symptoms, Fever, 【초록키워드】 Brazil, SARS-CoV-2, rapid antibody test, antibody, Symptom, Symptoms, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, Characteristics, Asymptomatic, symptomatic, Antibody test, Taste, change, predict, mild symptoms, association, Analysis, test result, no symptoms, two groups, 95% CI, subject, individual, participant, Positive test, assumption, positive, body aches, MOST, pandemic of COVID-19, widespread, socio-demographic, tested, proportion, reported, was collected, changes in, suggested, two group, body ache, number of symptom, 【제목키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, antibody, Symptom, Prevalence, subject,