Dec 5, 2022 - COVID

UCSF sees increase of asymptomatic COVID-19 cases

Megan Rose Dickey

Illustration of a pattern of covid cells. — Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Positive test rates for asymptomatic COVID-19 cases have more than doubled at University of California, San Francisco in the past month, hitting 5%, the hospital's chair of medicine, Bob Wachter, tweeted Friday.

Why it matters: The implication, according to Wachter, is that about 1 in 20 people in SF who feel well would currently test positive for COVID.

That also means people are likely to unknowingly spread the virus.

By the numbers: In a crowd of 10, Wachter explained, the odds that at least one person has COVID are greater than 40%.

On a plane of about 150 people, the odds are 99.9%, he said.
Yes, but: Wachter conceded that this is based on an imperfect sample size.

Zoom out: In Los Angeles, public health officials warned the county could move back into a high transmission level of COVID-19 as soon as this week, KTLA reports.

Public health officials in L.A. County on Thursday again encouraged people to wear masks indoors.

What's next: SF's Department of Public Health recommends people get the bivalent booster and annual flu shot and keep rapid test kits and masks on hand this holiday season.

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UCSF sees increase of asymptomatic COVID-19 cases

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