Fears about silent spreaders of Covid — who suffer no symptoms but can pass the virus to others — may have been overblown.
A study of nearly 30,000 people has found asymptomatic carriers are about 68 per cent less likely to pass the virus on than those who get sick.
No10 used concerns about asymptomatic spread to justify forcing Britons to obey lockdowns and wear masks.
They were thought to account for up to a third of all infections and many scientists claimed asymptomatic patients were just as infectious as the sick.
But a new global study spanning 42 countries, including the UK and US, found they were only responsible for as little as 14 per cent of cases.
They also estimate that their overall risk of passing the virus to someone else ‘about two-thirds lower’.
Scientists claimed Covid’s ability to spread asymptomatically was one of the reasons for harsh social curbs.
During one of the national lockdowns in January 2021, the Government said about a third of people with Covid had no symptoms and urged people to ‘act like you’ve got it’.
Researchers have found people with asymptomatic infections are two thirds less likely to pass the virus on to others compares to those with symptoms. The idea that someone could carry the virus without knowing it was part of the reason Britons were asked to wear masks at various stages of the pandemic.
The risk of asymptomatic people spreading Covid was part of Government messaging urging people to obey a lockdown in January 2021.