WHO says asymptomatic COVID-19 transmission is 'very rare'

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that that transmission of the novel coronavirus by asymptomatic carriers is "very rare".

"From the data we have, it still seems to be rare that an asymptomatic person actually transmits onward to a secondary individual," WHO official epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said during a briefing in Geneva.

"We have a number of reports from countries who are doing very detailed contact tracing. They're following asymptomatic cases, they're following contacts and they're not finding secondary transmission onward."

Her observations come as WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus asserted that the coronavirus pandemic situation was worsening around the globe and warned countries against complacency.

"More than six months into the pandemic, this is not the time for any country to take its foot off the pedal," told an online briefing.

So far, over 7.2 million people have contracted the virus around the world, with the death toll at more than 408,000.