New research from South Korea has found that people with an infection with the new coronavirus who don’t have any symptoms carry just as much virus in their throats, lungs, and noses as those who do have symptoms.

The study, which published Thursday in JAMA Internal Medicine, also discovered that on average, it took asymptomatic people 17 days to test negative for the virus after diagnosis, whereas it took symptomatic people 19 to 20 days.

Some experts have suspected that people without symptoms have caused the new coronavirus, named SARS-CoV-2, to spread more readily in communities.

Other evidence suggests that people who have an infection without any symptoms may actually spread the virus less, considering they likely sneeze and cough less.

These new findings add to the growing belief that asymptomatic carriers may potentially be able to spread the virus just as readily as those who do have symptoms.

The research team also found that on average, it took asymptomatic people 17 days to test negative for the virus after diagnosis.

The high viral load noted in asymptomatic people may suggest they’re capable of spreading the virus just as readily as presymptomatic or symptomatic people.

The key takeaway, Lerner says, is that people with an infection who never develop symptoms at all could be unknowingly spreading the virus.

New research has found that people with a SARS-CoV-2 infection who don’t have symptoms carry just as much virus in their throats, lungs, and noses as those who do have symptoms.

Though the presence of viral material in the body doesn’t necessarily mean the virus is infectious, these findings add to the growing belief that asymptomatic carriers may be able to spread the virus just as readily as those with symptoms.