Journalists please ask WHO to clarify the "asymptomatic" claim in writing—not just repeat their unclear statement, but actually clarify—and to provide evidence. It's a very important question and the confusion has already done great damage.https://twitter.com/gmleunghku/status/1270127930136424449 …
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Do ask: if they have data to share, preferably multi-country, on proportions of symptomatic, presymptomatic and asymptomatic transmission; how each was defined/measured; and their interpretation of the many studies cited above that show substantive presymptomatic transmission.
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I heard what sounded like the same claim from a WHO committee a few weeks ago; we were all startled the way science Twitter has been today; we quickly asked for clarification and data (always happy to follow the evidence) and have not received a reply yet. Clarity would be great.
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The claim has taken off like wildfire, with thousands of people asking why we had to wear masks, shut down schools, or even socially-distance if all we had to do was find and isolate symptomatic cases. It's just not acceptable to say something so significant and then not clarify.
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Many have interpretations of what the WHO may have meant—they were talking about never symptomatic not presymptomatic, etc. I humbly suggest that we are not in a position to interpret, but to demand clarity and evidence. I've been trying to understand, too, and I have no clarity.
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Replying to @zeynep
This was definitely my read. The WHO would almost certainly use precise terminology. The press? Not so much. And the headline directly contradicted what the WHO said.
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No, they haven't been using precise language, unfortunately. That's the problem.
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