WHO expert clarifies remarks on asymptomatic virus spread

[canetoad]

Last edited Tue Jun 9, 2020, 04:57 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: The Age

A top World Health Organisation expert has tried to clear up "misunderstandings" about comments she made that were widely understood to suggest that people without COVID-19 symptoms rarely transmit the coronavirus.

Maria Van Kerkhove, the UN health agency's technical lead on the virus pandemic, insisted on Tuesday that she was referring only to a few studies, not a complete picture, in the comments she made on Monday.

Van Kerkhove's remarks on Monday raised confusion and questions among outside experts and health officials who have recommended and in some places required that people wear masks to try to prevent the virus from spreading.

Read more: https://www.theage.com.au/national/coronavirus-updates-live-global-covid-19-cases-surpass-7-1-million-as-australian-death-toll-stands-at-102-20200609-p550x9.html

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Short article - no more at link. This is from a live blog. Scroll down a little way to "Pinned post from 4.02am"

Edit to add link to more information:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/06/09/coronavirus-who-walks-back-comments-asymptomatic-spread/5325282002/

*Thanks, SunSeeker.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

1. Her agreement with most epidemiologists expressed...

... here:

She said studies show people with the coronavirus are most infectious just at the point when they first begin to feel unwell.

"It appears from very limited information we have right now that people have more virus in their body at or around the time that they develop symptoms, so very early on," she said.

I don't even trust symptomatic people in this country to behave responsibly, so it's almost a moot point for me anyway.

[McCamy Taylor]

2. Her remarks were poorly judged.

[LisaL]

7. Because they were confusing and contradictory to what was previously reported.

[rictofen]

3. I'll continue to assume the worst about the manner of its spread

Perhaps at some point I'll learn it wasn't really necessary to scrub groceries before putting them in the fridge, but that'll fine.

[Steelrolled]

4. This is incredible

While I have to assume the WHO scientist is very competent, and was chosen to face the public based on her good communication skills, there is simply no excuse for this. The world hangs on every word of WHO, and to be so cavalier with crucial facts does a great disservice. I hoping they are fixing this.

[appalachiablue]

5. New, longer article w/ more info & specifics on the blunder

https://www.axios.com/who-asymptomatic-coronavirus-69c56ce3-41e0-4ea7-ab2a-de866713b4cf.html

[Buckeye_Democrat]

6. The wrong interpretation that I saw posted here...

... came from CNBC. So I ignored it immediately, suspecting that they probably omitted important parts of the WHO commentary.

I could be wrong about that, but I had also seen many contradictory comments from esteemed epidemiologists previously.

[LisaL]

8. Who says it regrets saying asymptomatic spread is very rare.

So it's not just wrong interpretation. Their statements were confusing and not even accurate.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

11. Okay.

They haven't exactly been forthcoming for awhile either.

They only recently updated their website in regard to masks, leaving the door open for sociopathic organizations like Fox News to proclaim that the WHO now recommends masks are only needed for people taking care of Covid-19 patients. (It hadn't been updated since early April, but Fox implied it was a new development.)

[Steelrolled]

15. I listened to the press conference very carefully

and listened to Van Kerkhov comments a few times, and she was very clear (unfortunately). To now say she was only referring to some studies is weak - I would have much more confidence if she would just own up to it, and move on.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

16. Okay, thanks.

It flew in the face of so many epidemiologists, I was very skeptical anyway.

They need to be way more careful. There are "news" organizations in the USA just waiting to pounce on that sort of stuff.

[SunSeeker]

9. Nearly Half of Coronavirus Spread May Be Traced to People Without Any Symptoms

https://time.com/5848949/covid-19-asymptomatic-spread/

[SunSeeker]

10. Here's a much more substantial USA Today article on WHO's walkback.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/06/09/coronavirus-who-walks-back-comments-asymptomatic-spread/5325282002/

You might want to add that link to your OP.

[canetoad]

12. Done

[SunSeeker]

13. Thank you! nt

[Baclava]

14. So they went from "very rare" to "could be 40%" in one day? Ridiculous, just say you dont know.

[RainCaster]

17. My takeaway: sneezing and coughing will spread this virus much faster

Kinda simple really.