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MOST people infected by the Covid Omicron variant were not aware they had it and so probably helped spread it, scientists have found.
They tested blood from 2,479 healthcare workers and found 210 of them likely had the virus.
But 56 per cent of these had no or mild symptoms.
Sandy Joung, who did the study at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in LA, said: “A low level of infection awareness has likely contributed to the fast spread of Omicron.”
Dr Susan Cheng added: “More than one in every two people who were infected with Omicron didn’t know they had it.
“The better we understand our own risks, the better we will be at protecting public health.”
Read more on Omicron
Symptoms are usually mild.
They typically involve fatigue, a cough, a headache, a sore throat or a runny nose.
Previous studies estimated between 25 per cent to 80 per cent of those infected with Omicron do not show symptoms.
Ms Joung said: “Our findings add to evidence that undiagnosed infections can increase transmission of the virus.”
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Dr Cheng added: “Awareness will be key for allowing us to move beyond this pandemic.”
Researchers believe that further samples from other ethnicities are needed.
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