80% Covid-19 cases are asymptomatic, says Health Ministry

New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) The Health Ministry on Monday warned that 80 per cent of all coronavirus patients are asymptomatic or show mild symptoms. "On the basis of worldwide analysis, out of 100 coronavirus patients, 80 per cent are asymptomatic or show mild symptoms. Around 15 per cent patients turn into severe cases and five percent cases turn into critical cases," said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, at the daily press briefing. Raman Gangakhedkar, head of infectious disease and epidemiology at the ICMR, also said that 80 out of 100 people do not show symptoms and therefore chances are that they test positive. The comments came against the backdrop of concerns that there may be asymptomatic people who are yet to be detected.
--IANS aka/vd