SARS-CoV-2 in a tropical area of Colombia, a remarkable conversion of presymptomatic to symptomatic people impacts public health

Abstract

Background: The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to remain in asymptomatic individuals facilitates its dissemination and makes its control difficult.

Objective: To establish a cohort of asymptomatic individuals, change to the symptomatic status, and determine the most frequent clinical manifestations. METHODS: Between April 9 and August 9, 2020, molecular diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed in 154 asymptomatic people in contact with subjects diagnosed with COVID-19. Nasopharyngeal swabs were performed on these people in different hospitals in Córdoba, the Caribbean area of Colombia. The genes E, RdRp, and N were amplified with RT-qPCR. Based on the molecular results and the Cq values, the patients were subsequently followed up through telephone calls to verify their health conditions.

Results: Overall, of 154 asymptomatic individuals, 103 (66.9%) remained asymptomatic, and 51 (33.1%) changed to symptomatic. The most frequent clinical manifestations in young people were anosmia and arthralgia. Adults showed cough, ageusia, and odynophagia; in the elderly were epigastralgia, dyspnea, and headache. Mortality was 8%.

Conclusions: A proportion of 33% of presymptomatic individuals was found, of which four of them died. This high rate could indicate a silent transmission, contributing significantly to the epidemic associated with SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: Confounding factors epidemiology; Disease transmission; Infectious; Presymptomatic disease; Preventive measures; Preventive medicine and public health.