Table 1.
Severity grades and epidemiology of COVID-19 (in Germany; n > 1.7 Millions) [3], and meta-analytic data with respect to viral shedding [8].
| Grade | Definition3 | Distribution (%) [3] | (Average) duration of illness (days) [3] | Pooled mean viral shedding time (days; 95% CI) [8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asymptomatic (AS-COVID) | No reported symptoms corresponding to COVID-19, or no information on clinical manifestations | 42 | 14 | 10.9 (8.3–14.3) |
| Mildly symptomatic (MS-COVID) | General signs of illness, sore throat, runny nose, disturbance of smell or taste, diarrhoea are present | 25 | 14 | 19.7 (17.2–22.7) |
| Moderately symptomatic | As MS-COVID “PLUS” fever, cough, or pneumonia | 27 | 14 | 22.8 (16.4–32.0) |
| Severely symptomatic | Requiring hospitalisation (but not in an intensive care unit) | 5 | 21 | 24.3 (18.9–31.1). |
| Very severely/ critically symptomatic | Requiring intensive medical care | < 1 | 32 | Not reported |
Note: 95% CI – 95% confidence interval.