More than half of people infected with coronavirus caught the bug from someone who wasn’t showing any symptoms, a new study has revealed.
Researchers from University College Dublin have reviewed 17 studies to understand how the virus has spread around the world.
Their findings suggest that between 33% and 88% of people with the virus caught it from people they didn’t even know were infected.
The results also showed that it take an average of six days before a person starts showing symptoms.
However, transmission is most likely during this time, according to the researchers.
In their study, published on medRxiv, they wrote: “Our work suggests that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is most likely in the day before symptom onset, whereas estimates suggesting most pre-symptomatic transmission highlighted a mean transmission times almost 3 days before symptom onset.”
The findings raise concerns about lifting lockdown measures, in which case asymptomatic carriers could quickly spread the virus.
The researchers added: “These findings highlight the urgent need for extremely rapid and effective case detection, contact tracing and quarantine measures if strict social distancing measures are to be eased.”
The study comes as the UK government relaxed the lockdown measures in place in England.
The Prime Minister's 'road-map' out of lockdown relaxed rules, allowing people in England to go back to work 'if it is safe to do so'.
But the change has prompted fears that commuters and workplaces would struggle to maintain social distancing guidelines.
And unions said the packed carriages this morning showed how workers returning is "fraught with danger".
