Can asymptomatic people spread coronavirus? What we know right now - CNET

Knowing that asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 can spread the virus, wearing masks is more important than ever.

The World Health Organization incited backlash from public health officials during a news conference on June 8 when Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead for the COVID-19 response, said it's "very rare" for asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 to spread the virus.

A day later, the WHO backtracked and clarified the statement, with Kerkhove noting that the WHO "actually doesn't have that answer yet," regarding if -- and how often -- asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 spread the virus.

Now, many people are confused about whether or not asymptomatic carriers can spread COVID-19 -- but the question isn't really about that.

In the case of COVID-19, this can be a serious threat because of the way this virus spreads: People who are unaware that they have the virus may not stay home or take precautions, such as wearing a mask or staying six feet apart from others, when they leave their homes. .

These people may never know they have COVID-19 because their symptoms aren't severe enough to warrant a test, thus they never receive a diagnosis. .

This is thought to be true for the novel coronavirus, too, although officials don't yet know how common the spread of COVID-19 by asymptomatic carriers is. .

It's also clear that people who do develop symptoms could potentially spread the virus before they knew they had it

Some officials have voiced concern that the WHO's initial statement that asymptomatic spread is "very rare" discouraged mask-wearing and social distancing, which could significantly worsen the spread of COVID-19 if asymptomatic people can readily transmit the virus

regretting their statement that asymptomatic transmission is "very rare," that the rate of people w/o symptoms may be 40%, while also citing a 16% rate preprint w/ many deficiencieshttps://t.co/vgq09eV5ryhttps://t.co/bbIUPos7dm pic.twitter.com/a5QpYUaJyw

It's also possible the COVID-19 can spread when people touch surfaces that have the SARS-CoV-2 virus on them, although the CDC says this isn't thought to be the main mode of transmission. 

According to the CDC, RNA from the virus has been detected in other bodily fluids and byproducts, such as blood and stool, but experts do not yet know if COVID-19 can spread through these substances.