Natural History of Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection

The majority of patients who are asymptomatic when they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection will remain asymptomatic, according to findings reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. Of 96 asymptomatic, infected people from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, just 11 developed COVID-19 symptoms at a median of 4 days after their first positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result. Among patients who never developed symptoms, the median time between the first positive PCR result and the first negative result was 9 days. By day 15 after the first positive result, 90% of the patients had resolution of infection (defined by the authors as two negative PCR results). Resolution of infection took longer among older patients.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2013020?query=pfw&jwd=000000762462&jspc=CD