A: Full explainer in the link below from two microbiology Profs.
“In general, the more virus you have in your airways, the more you will release when you exhale or cough, although there is a lot of person-to-person variation. Multiple studies have reported that patients have the highest viral load of the coronavirus at the time they are diagnosed.
This means that patients transmit COVID-19 more effectively at the beginning of their illness, or even before they know they are sick. This is bad news. It means people who look and feel healthy can transmit the virus to others.”
