More than half of Americans with COVID-19 have no idea how they got infected

While experts have warned of "stealth transmission," that is, those with coronavirus who spread it without symptoms, now a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that more than Half of Americans diagnosed with the disease have no idea who got it .

In the report, experts tracked contacts in 350 patients who tested positive. The result? Only 46% of those infected knew they had come into contact with someone with COVID-19 .

And, of those who knew they had interacted with someone infected, 45% said their contact was a member of their family . While more than a third, reported having a sick coworker with coronavirus.

According to the CDC, only 10% reported visiting a friend with SARS-CoV-2 , and 19% had contacts in other categories, such as healthcare or long-term care facilities, and a few said they lived with neighbors. , clients or inmates.

Experts also noted that only 17% percent of those who tested positive were able to work remotely in the midst of the pandemic, while the rest of those infected had to continue going to their workplaces.

"Most COVID-19 patients reported working in the two weeks prior to illness, and few had the ability to do a home office, underscoring the need for improved measures to ensure safety in the workplace." the authors explained.

They also indicated that a disproportionate number of these people were of color or Hispanic .

Another alarming fact is that the infection was not more common among those who went to the supermarket one or more times a week compared to those who bought food one or more times a week.

About a third of the people who tested positive said they never went to the supermarket, 28% went shopping, and 27% said they went out shopping two or three times a week. Only about two percent of those infected went to the store daily .

On the other hand, because Americans are returning to work, the CDC released a list of recommendations for companies to limit the risk of spread in their restaurants, stores, or offices, but unfortunately it is still unclear if workers are acting on they.

In addition to this, infectious disease specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci , CDC Dr. Robert Redfield , and Utah Senator Mitt Romney urge public health officials to provide data on where people are infected, in order to tell Americans if they can safely be seen outdoors.

While the CDC report makes an effort to know that information, its findings also demonstrate how difficult it is to determine the exact time, place, and person from whom you contracted the disease.

"Less than half of the patients were aware of recent close contact with someone with COVID-19, highlighting the need for increased detection, case investigation, contact location, and isolation of infected individuals during periods of community transmission "the CDC warned. 

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