To the Fairfax County Community,
There was some confusion this week over the comments of a World Health Organization head who said transmission of COVID-19 from asymptomatic carriers is "very rare". Since Maria Van Kerkhove's original statement, she has clarified that asymptomatic transmission can in fact occur and White House health advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci confirmed this as well.
I went to the Fairfax County Health Department for further explanation and they shared that Fairfax follows Virginia Department of Health and CDC guidance on protective measures for control of COVID-19, not the WHO. VDH and CDC guidance on this subject has not changed. Research shows that the viral load of asymptomatic cases has been equal to that of symptomatic cases, which suggests similar potential for virus transmission.
In other words, we must remain cautious for asymptomatic cases. Cloth masks and social distancing are still vital to protecting against asymptomatic transmission. It is also critical to avoiding pre-symptomatic transmission, where the risk of transmission is highest right before the onset of symptoms.
See below for the full June 11 edition. For the resources mentioned in past newsletters, visit my website. If you have a friend who would like to sign up for this newsletter, they can do so here.