Georgia Governor Says He Just Learned Asymptomatic People Can Transmit Coronavirus

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) says he just learned that asymptomatic people can transmit the coronavirus. Kemp said it was that info that prompted him to issue a statewide stay-at-home order.

“So what we’ve been telling people from directives from the CDC for weeks now, that if you start feeling bad stay home, those individuals could have been infecting people before they ever felt bad,†Kemp said. “Well, we didn’t know that until the last 24 hours. This is a game-changer for us.”

Kemp’s stay-at-home order will be in effect until at least April 13.

“We are taking action to protect our hospitals, help our medical providers and prepare for patient surge,†Kemp announced. “This action will ensure uniformity among jurisdictions for Georgians sheltering in place and help families and businesses comply with its provisions.â€

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Kemp’s claim that he didn’t know asymptomatic people could still infect others is surprising considering Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the leading members of the White House coronavirus task force, spoke about this very topic more than two months ago.

For example, on January 31, Fauci said: “You know that in the beginning, we were not sure if there were asymptomatic infection, which would make it a much broader outbreak than what we’re seeing. Now we know for sure that there are. It was not clear whether an asymptomatic person could transmit it to someone while they were asymptomatic. Now we know from a recent report from Germany that that is absolutely the case.â€

And on February 4, Fauci added, “We had been getting reports from highly reliable people in China — scientists, investigators and public health people who we’ve known over the years — and they’ve been telling us, ‘There’s asymptomatic disease, for sure, and we are seeing asymptomatic transmission.'”



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