The first cases of Coronavirus of 2019 (COVID‐19) were reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019(1). The literature demonstrates geographical variation with regards to estimates of infection incidence, suggesting that COVID‐19 has been underdiagnosed in certain regions(2,3). The rate of asymptomatic infection has been estimated to be as high as 30.8%, which may help explain variation in incidence, particularly in regions with differing screening practices (3). Transmission of COVID‐19 by asymptomatic carriers has been reported in multiple family units, indicating that this mode of infection is important in understanding disease epidemiology and population risk(4,5).
Testing Asymptomatic Emergency Department Patients for Coronavirus of 2019 (COVID‐19) in a Low Prevalence Region