Is asymptomatic really asymptomatic ... or just not the main symptoms? Care homes miscounting for example?

[loveyouradvice]

I'd always thought asymptomatic meant no symptoms... so people waltzing around doing the usual stuff and then being surprised they had Covid

However I've just discovered my mother's care home count their residents with some symptoms but no temperature/cough/etc as asymptomatic? eg My mum is exhausted, very confused and lying in bed on day 3.

I think it can be very difficult to differentiate the less obvious symptoms from other causes and many residents will already have underlying conditions or be frail.

My GP friends say if you don't have one of the 3 main symptoms then you are not officially symptomatic of COVID, thus recorded as asymptomatic. Even though you might have other signs and symptoms of illness.

3 main symptoms being temp, cough and loss of taste. You need one of these to be recorded as symptomatic.

My dd 14 was completely symptom free, not so much as a sniffle

This is really interesting ... so asymptomatic DOES just mean don't have one of the three main symptoms... although Zoe have now itemised 15 symptoms... and even correlated a higher number of these symptoms with likelihood of needing hospitalisation depending on sex and age.

And they have identified Delirium being the main symptom for around a third of elderly people, with more if they are frail... which I imagine means low BMI. Hence my very underweight Mum being classified as asymptomatic inspire of having one of the main symptoms for her age and build!

I'll look forward to hearing what the real Asymptomatic level is in due course ie NO symptoms - which seems to be common amongst the young, but not so much among those who are older ... anecdotally speaking, no proof!