The significance of asymptomatic and mild forms of the disease in the development of the epidemic process of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19)

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Abstract

Objective. Determination of the epidemiological significance of the proportion of asymptomatic and mild forms in the dynamics of the incidence rate and structure of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) globally and in the Russian Federation (RF) for 2020–2022.

Materials and methods. Data from the online resource Our World in Data was used to analyze COVID-19 incidence in populations across different countries. Information on the level and dynamics of incidence in the Russian Federation and the distribution of cases by severity were obtained by analyzing Rospotrebnadzor’s statistical form No. 1035, “Monitoring the number of cases of coronavirus infection, including community-acquired pneumonia, and fatalities,” for 2020–2022.

Results. The overall proportion of asymptomatic and mild forms of the disease in 2020–2022 ranged from 51.5% to 80.6%, averaging 64.2 ± 10.6%.

Conclusion. The high proportion of asymptomatic and mild forms of COVID-19 demonstrates the extreme epidemiological importance of timely diagnosis of such cases to prevent the spread of the pathogen.

 

About the authors

Vasily G. Akimkin

Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being

Author for correspondence.
Email: crie@pcr.su
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4228-9044

Academician of Russian Academy of Sciences, MD, Professor, Director

 

Russian Federation, Moscow

Anna S. Esman

Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being

Email: esman@cmd.su
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-5456-7649

Cand. Med. Sci., Head, Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology and Immunology

 

Russian Federation, Moscow

Dmitriy V. Dubodelov

Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being

Email: dubodelov@cmd.su
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3093-5731

Cand. Med. Sci., Leading Research Scientist, Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology and Immunology

 

Russian Federation, Moscow

Gasan A. Gasanov

Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being

Email: gasanov@cmd.su
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0121-521X

Cand. Med. Sci.,Research scientist, Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology and Immunology

 

Russian Federation, Moscow

Tamara I. Makhova

Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being

Email: dolgova@cmd.su
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7502-6473

Cand. Med. Sci., Senior Researcher, Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics and Epidemiology of Reproductive Infections

 

Russian Federation, Moscow

Roman M. Beregovykh

Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being

Email: beregovykh@cmd.su
ORCID iD: 0009-0000-3956-2148

Head, Product Analytics for Scientific Production, Center for Scientific and Marketing Communications

 

Russian Federation, Moscow

Angelina A. Monakhova

Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being

Email: monaxova.angelina@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0000-9950-2649

Postgraduate

 

Russian Federation, Moscow

Natalia V. Sycheva

Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being

Email: sycheva.n@cmd.su
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8557-6540

Junior Researcher, Laboratory of Healthcare-associated Infections

 

Russian Federation, Moscow

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