Asymptomatic Carriage of SARS-CoV-2 in a University Population in Rosario, Argentina

Aims: To study the rates of SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic carriage in a young, healthy and full vaccinated population of students in the medical area. Contribute to the knowledge of the dynamics of the endemic and its control.

Study Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study.

Place and Duration of Study: Faculty of Medical Sciences, Instituto Universitario Italiano de Rosario, Argentina, between August and September 2022.

Methodology: 300 students were recruited. An oropharyngeal sample was taken from all the participants who completed an online electronic survey. The sampling period corresponded to weeks of low viral circulation in the province. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 was investigated by real-time RT-PCR.

Results: 72.7% of the participants reported a previous infection. All the participants received at least one dose of vaccine and 56.7% completed a 3-dose schedule. Two of the 300 samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. One was classified as presymptomatic since the individual developed compatible symptoms three days after taking the sample. The other case was the only one classified as an asymptomatic carrier, resulting in a SARS-CoV-2 portability rate of 0.33%.

Conclusion: The rate obtained for asymptomatic portability in our study was surprisingly low considering that these groups shared an average of 6 hours a day in closed environments. The risk of person to person spread in this population is extremely low and does not justify the use of masks or social distancing.