Asymptomatic cases of SARS-CoV-2 can be unknown carriers magnifying the transmission of COVID-19. This study appraised the frequency of asymptomatic individuals and estimated occurrence by age group and gender by reviewing the existing published data on asymptomatic people with COVID-19. Three electronic databases, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science (WoS), were used to search the literature following the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). The study population for this review included asymptomatic individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 reported in original articles published up to 30 April 2020. A random effects model was applied to analyze pooled data on the prevalence of asymptomatic cases among all COVID-19 patients and also by age and gender. From the meta-analysis of 16 studies, comprising 2,788 SARS-CoV-2 infected patients, the pooled prevalence according to the random effect size of asymptomatic cases was 48.2% (95% CI, 30–67%). Of the asymptomatic cases, 55.5% (95% CI, 43.6–66.8%) were female and 49.6% (95% CI, 20.5–79.1%) were children. Children and females were more likely to present as asymptomatic COVID-19 cases and could act as unknown carriers of SARS-CoV-2. Symptom-based screening might fail to identify all SARS-CoV-2 infections escalating the threat of global spread and impeding containment. Therefore, a mass surveillance system to track asymptomatic cases is critical, with special attention to females and children.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, pandemic, 2019-nCoV, Transmission, Asymptomatic, 【초록키워드】 Meta-analysis, review, SARS-COV-2 infection, children, Gender, Spread, Prevalence, Surveillance, female, Asymptomatic case, Reporting, age, Critical, Frequency, COVID-19 patient, Asymptomatic COVID-19, Web of Science, 95% CI, study population, SARS-CoV-2 infected patients, item, article, carrier, random effect, asymptomatic individual, Occurrence, identify, reported, applied, were used, age and gender, infected with SARS-CoV-2, people with COVID-19, WoS, 【제목키워드】 review,