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Asymptomatic Young People Can Easily Spread COVID, Study Reinforces

BOSTON (CBS) – A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that young, healthy people can easily transmit COVID-19 to others.

Researchers looked at an outbreak on a U.S. aircraft carrier where most crew members were young and in good health. They found that the coronavirus spread quickly by people who were both asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic.

It's another reminder that relying on temperature checks and self-reported symptoms are not enough to prevent the spread in the workplace, college dorms, bars, and other places where people gather.

Instead, we need to make testing readily available, affordable and provide timely results.

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