A study by Chinese scientists revealed that the emerging corona virus may produce defective "fake" molecules, which shows some people who do not have symptoms as infected when they are tested.
According to the "South China Morning Post" newspaper, 20% of cases of coronavirus infection do not show symptoms, and some researchers are concerned that these "silent carriers" spread the disease around the world.
In one case, a patient in Chongqing, southwest China, was positive throughout his 45-day hospital stay without signs of illness (symptoms), the newspaper said.
Although it is not fully known entirely why some people do not show symptoms, but new research indicates that these cases should not be a major concern.
In a research paper published on Thursday, researchers led by Professor Li Languan of the lead state laboratory for diagnosing and treating infectious diseases at Zhejiang University, found that a virus-infected cell can release a large number of unknown particles.
These particles contain the genes of the emerging coronavirus, but they are incomplete and not encapsulated in protective films, some of which appeared to be smaller than normal viruses and many were irregular in shape.
It was the first time that scientists had seen such a particle near a cell infected with coronavirus, and it was not clear what it was. She suspected me of these being "defective interfering particles", which are improper copies made by the virus during its reproduction.
An epidemiologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing said the new research could prompt the World Health Organization to review its guidelines for infected people with no symptoms.