The CDC recently published a case study about this occurrence, which took place in Heilongjiang Province in China. Though the area hadn’t recorded any new cases of coronavirus since mid-March, on April 9, there were suddenly four new confirmed cases. It only took until April 22 to reach a peak of 71 new cases in the area. After testing the viral genomes of all of those infected, the Chinese CDC concluded that all of these cases originated from a single carrier.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. According to the case study, the woman in question had recently returned home to China after visiting the U.S., and was asked to quarantine upon arrival. She was not experiencing any symptoms at that time, however, she quickly spread the virus to friends, neighbors, and family members with whom she had varying degrees of contact. One neighbor became infected without having seen the woman at all. They had both used their building’s elevator, but never at the same time, meaning the virus was likely transmitted by a contaminated button or via airborne particles. “Our results illustrate how a single asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection could result in widespread community transmission,” the CDC concludes. This report from the CDC underscores why it’s so important for all of us to continue taking strict precautions, even without symptoms, and especially when traveling. Quarantining after travel, washing hands frequently, wearing masks, and social distancing could stop you from being the next coronavirus cautionary tale. And for the U.S. states in the most trouble right now, check out These 6 States Need Another Lockdown, Harvard Researchers Say.
