Breaking the Ice with Group Flow: A Collaborative VR Serious Game for Relationship Enhancement

It is usually hard for unfamiliar partners to rapidly 'break the ice' in the early stage of relationship establishment, which hinders the development of relationship and even affects the team productivity. To solve this problem, we proposed a collaborative serious game for icebreaking by combining immersive virtual reality (VR) with brain-computer interface based on the team flow framework. We designed a multiplayer collaboration task with the theme of fighting COVID-19 and proposed an approach to improve empathy between team members by sharing their real-time mental state in VR;in addition, we propose an EEG-based method for dynamic evaluation and enhancement of group flow experience to achieve better team collaboration. Then, we developed a prototype system and performed a user study. Results show that our method has good ease of use and can significantly reduce the psychological distance among team members. Especially for unfamiliar partners, both functions of mental state sharing and group flow regulation enhancement can significantly reduce the psychological distance. © 2023 IEEE.

Research progress on influence of environmental and meteorological parameters on transmission of coronavirus disease 2019

Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-COV-2) is spreading rapidly around the world and has become a global pandemic. Meteorological factors have been recognized as one of the critical factors that influence the epidemiology and transmission of infectious diseases. In this context, the World Meteorological Organization and scholars at home and abroad have paid extensive attention to the relationships of environment and meteorology with COVID-19. This paper systematically collected and sorted out relevant domestic and foreign studies, and reviewed the latest research progress on the impact of environmental and meteorological factors on COVID-19, classifying them into typical meteorological factors (such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed), local environmental factors (such as indoor enclosed environment, ventilation, disinfection, and air conditioning), and air pollution. Current research evidence suggests that typical meteorological factors, local environmental factors, and air pollutants are closely related to the transmission of COVID-19. However, the results of different studies are still divergent due to uncertainty about the influencing mechanism, and differences in research areas and methods. This review elucidated the importance of environmental and meteorological factors to the spread of COVID-19, and provided useful implications for the control of further large-scale transmission of COVID-19 and the development of prevention and control strategies under different environmental and meteorological conditions.Copyright © 2022, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention. All rights reserved.

A NOVEL ULTRAFAST REAL-TIME PCR INSTRUMENT FOR RAPID DETECTION OF SARS-COV-2 NUCLEIC ACIDS IN 30 MINUTES

Intro The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is still raging around the world. Therefore, an efficient, rapid, and low-cost nucleic acid detection method for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is urgently needed. There is a miniaturized ultra-fast real-time PCR instrument, and we will verify and evaluate its 30-minute rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2. Methods A rapid PCR temperature change mode was explored by moving the reaction tube between the independent temperature modules with large temperature differences and a portable ultra-fast real-time PCR instrument were developed. We established a rapid SARS-CoV-2 test method using the instrument, a China Food and Drug Administration-certified SARS-CoV-2 reagent and optimized reaction condition. The analytical and clinical performances of the rapid tests were evaluated by comparing with the standard SARS-CoV-2 tests. Findings The new temperature change mode can effectively shorten the amplification reaction time. The rapid SARS-CoV-2 test method was established and the time to yield results were greatly shortened from 81 min of the standard test to 31 min. Specificity of the rapid test was assessed and no non-specific amplification (0/63) was observed. Clinical performance was evaluated using 184 respiratory specimens from patients with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection. The positive agreement between the rapid and standard tests was 100% (67/67), the negative agreement was 97.4% (114/117), and the kappa statistic was 0.965 (P<0.001). No significant differences in the Ct values for each target gene were observed between the rapid test and the standard test (P>0.05). Conclusion A 30-minute detection method for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid using a novel ultra-fast real-time PCR instrument was developed. The waiting time for test results in cases of suspected infection may be reduced greatly by using the ultra-fast real-time PCR instrument

Ground-Based MAX-DOAS Observation of Trace Gases from 2019 to 2021 in Huaibei, China

With the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of closure measures in 2020, population mobility and human activities have decreased, which has seriously impacted atmospheric quality. Huaibei City is an important coal and chemical production base in East China, which faces increasing environmental problems. The impact of anthropogenic activities on air quality in this area was investigated by comparing the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 with the normal situation in 2021. Tropospheric NO2, HCHO and SO2 column densities were observed by ground-based multiple axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS). In situ measurements for PM2.5, NO2, SO2 and O3 were also taken. The observation period was divided into four phases, the pre-lockdown period, phase 1 lockdown, phase 2 lockdown and the post-lockdown period. Ground-based MAX-DOAS results showed that tropospheric NO2, HCHO and SO2 column densities increased by 41, 14 and 14%, respectively, during phase 1 in 2021 vs. 2020. In situ results showed that NO2 and SO2 increased by 59 and 11%, respectively, during phase 1 in 2021 vs. 2020, but PM2.5 and O3 decreased by 15 and 17%, respectively. In the phase 2 period, due to the partial lifting of control measures, the concentration of pollutants did not significantly change. The weekly MAX-DOAS results showed that there was no obvious weekend effect of pollutants in the Huaibei area, and NO2, HCHO and SO2 had obvious diurnal variation characteristics. In addition, the relationship between the column densities and wind speed and direction in 2020 and 2021 was studied. The results showed that, in the absence of traffic control in 2021, elevated sources in the Eastern part of the city emitted large amounts of NO2. The observed ratios of HCHO to NO2 suggested that tropospheric ozone production involved NOX-limited scenarios. The correlation analysis between HCHO and different gases showed that HCHO mainly originated from primary emission sources related to SO2. © 2023 by the authors.

Multiplex and Ultrasensitive Detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 and Influenza A/B Nucleocapsid Proteins Based on Nanometer-Sized Core-Shell Superparamagnetic Antifouling Probes

Infections caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), influenza A (Flu A), and influenza B (Flu B) show similar clinical symptoms, such as cough, fever, and dyspnea, but patients infected by these viruses should be treated differently. The rapid and accurate diagnosis of infections caused by SARS-CoV-2, Flu A or Flu B is critical during the influenza season. Herein, we synthesized core-shell magnetic particles (MNPs) with excellent antifouling properties and applied them in the MNP-based immunochromatographic test (MICT) for simultaneous detection of SARS-CoV-2, Flu A, and Flu B nucleocapsid(N) proteins in 20 min. Two kinds of carboxyl -modified MNPs, MNP@pMBAA and MNP@Si-SA, were prepared and evaluated as probes in the MICT. Among them, the MNP@ pMBAA showed lower nonspecific adsorption of proteins and low background noise in the application in MICTs. Particularly, the MNP@pMBAA50 bead-based MICT strip exhibited the highest signal-to-noise ratio for SARS-CoV-2 N protein detection with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.072 ng/mL. Moreover, the proposed MICT strip demonstrated a minimal cross-reactivity and a broad linear dynamic detection range under a magnetic assay reader in the simultaneous detection of SARS-CoV-2, Flu A, and Flu B N proteins with relative LOD values of 0.0086, 0.012, and 0.018 ng/mL, respectively. The results demonstrated that the synthesized MNPs showed great potential for use as MICT probes for sensitive and multiplex detection of biomarkers in the development of point-of-care testing systems.

Updated efficacy and safety of taletrectinib in patients (pts) with ROS1+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Background Taletrectinib is a potent, next-generation, CNS-active, ROS1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) with selectivity over TRKB. In previous reports from TRUST-I, taletrectinib showed meaningful clinical efficacy and was well tolerated in pts with ROS1+ NSCLC (n = 109) regardless of crizotinib (CRZ) pretreatment status. We report updated efficacy and safety data with ~1.5 yr follow-up. Methods TRUST-I is a multicenter, open-label, single-arm study with two cohorts: ROS1 TKI-naive and CRZ-pretreated. Pts in both cohorts received taletrectinib 600 mg QD. Key study endpoints included IRC-confirmed ORR (cORR), DoR, disease control rate (DCR), PFS, and safety. A pooled analysis of ORR, PFS, and safety including pts from additional clinical trials was also conducted. Results In the 109 pts from TRUST-I (enrolled prior to Feb 2022) the median follow-up was 18.0 mo in TKI-naive (n = 67) and 16.9 mo in CRZ-pretreated pts (n = 42). cORR was 92.5% in TKI-naive and 52.6% in CRZ-pretreated pts (table). Median DoR (mDoR) and mPFS were not reached. Intracranial-ORR was 91.6%;ORR in pts with G2032R was 80.0%. In a pooled analysis with phase I studies, ORR was 89.5% and 50.0% for TKI-naive and CRZ-pretreated pts, respectively;mPFS was 33.2 mo and 9.8 mo. In 178 pts treated at 600 mg QD, treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were 92.7%;most (64.0%) were grade 1-2. The most common TEAEs were increased AST (60.7%), increased ALT (55.6%), and diarrhea (55.6%). Neurological TEAEs (dizziness, 18.5%;dysgeusia, 12.4%) and discontinuations due to TEAEs (3.4%) were low. Further updated results will be presented. [Formula presented] Conclusions With additional follow-up, taletrectinib continued to demonstrate meaningful efficacy outcomes including high response rates, prolonged PFS, robust intracranial activity, activity against G2032R, and tolerable safety with low incidence of neurological AEs. Clinical trial identification NCT04395677. Editorial acknowledgement Medical writing and editorial assistance were provided by Arpita Kulshrestha of Peloton Advantage, LLC, an OPEN Health company, and funded by AnHeart Therapeutics, Inc Legal entity responsible for the study AnHeart Therapeutics, Inc. Funding AnHeart Therapeutics, Inc. Disclosure S. He: Financial Interests, Personal, Other, Employment: AnHeart Therapeutics. T. Seto: Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: AbbVie, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly Japan, Kissei Pharmaceutical, MSD, Novartis Pharma, Pfizer Japan, Takeda Pharmaceutical;Financial Interests, Personal, Other, Employment: Precision Medicine Asia;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker's Bureau, Honoraria for lectures: AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Covidien Japan, Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly Japan, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, MSD, Mochida Pharmaceutical, Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis Pharma, Ono Pharmaceutical, Pfizer Japan, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Towa Pharmaceutical. C. Zhou: Financial Interests, Personal, Other, Consulting fees: Innovent Biologics Qilu, Hengrui, TopAlliance Biosciences Inc;Financial Interests, Personal, Speaker's Bureau, Payment or honoraria: Eli Lilly China, Sanofi, BI, Roche, MSD, Qilu, Hengrui, Innovent Biologics, C-Stone LUYE Pharma, TopAlliance Biosciences Inc, Amoy Diagnositics, AnHeart. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.Copyright © 2023 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Multiplex and Ultrasensitive Detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 and Influenza A/B Nucleocapsid Proteins Based on Nanometer-Sized Core-Shell Superparamagnetic Antifouling Probes

Infections caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), influenza A (Flu A), and influenza B (Flu B) show similar clinical symptoms, such as cough, fever, and dyspnea, but patients infected by these viruses should be treated differently. The rapid and accurate diagnosis of infections caused by SARS-CoV-2, Flu A or Flu B is critical during the influenza season. Herein, we synthesized core-shell magnetic particles (MNPs) with excellent antifouling properties and applied them in the MNP-based immunochromatographic test (MICT) for simultaneous detection of SARS-CoV-2, Flu A, and Flu B nucleocapsid(N) proteins in 20 min. Two kinds of carboxyl-modified MNPs, MNP@pMBAA and MNP@Si-SA, were prepared and evaluated as probes in the MICT. Among them, the MNP@pMBAA showed lower nonspecific adsorption of proteins and low background noise in the application in MICTs. Particularly, the MNP@pMBAA50 bead-based MICT strip exhibited the highest signal-to-noise ratio for SARS-CoV-2 N protein detection with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.072 ng/mL. Moreover, the proposed MICT strip demonstrated a minimal cross-reactivity and a broad linear dynamic detection range under a magnetic assay reader in the simultaneous detection of SARS-CoV-2, Flu A, and Flu B N proteins with relative LOD values of 0.0086, 0.012, and 0.018 ng/mL, respectively. The results demonstrated that the synthesized MNPs showed great potential for use as MICT probes for sensitive and multiplex detection of biomarkers in the development of point-of-care testing systems. © 2023 American Chemical Society.

Impact of COVID-19 Prevention and Control Measures on Expressway Transportation in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

Under the background of normalized COVID-19 prevention and control, regional epidemics occur frequently in China. How to quantify the impact of COVID-19 prevention and control measures on economic operation and passenger and freight transportation has become an urgent problem. To this end, we design a calculation method for expressway transportation indicators, propose the level and stage division process of COVID-19 prevention and control measures, and then establish a difference-in-difference model to further analyze their impact on expressway transportation indicators. Taking major cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as an example, case studies are conducted based on the expressway toll data and COVID-19 prevention and control information from May 2020 to April 2022. The results show that in the level I (strengthened) stage, the passenger vehicle flow has dropped significantly, the drop in each case is between 8% and 27%, and the freight indicators have not changed significantly. In Shenzhen and Dongguan, both passenger and freight indicators dropped sharply in the level II (strict) stage. Passenger vehicle flow in the two cities dropped by 46.3% and 33.7%, and truck flow by 42.7% and 27.6%, respectively, and cargo and turnover decreased as much as truck flow. The average inter- city distance of expressway passenger cars has a downward trend under the level I stage, but under the level II stage, the average inter-city distance of passenger cars and trucks has increased significantly. This study can provide a certain reference value for the formulation and implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures in cities and urban agglomerations. © 2022 Science Press. All rights reserved.

Pan-Peptide Meta Learning for T-cell receptor–antigen binding recognition

The identification of the mechanisms by which T-cell receptors (TCRs) interact with human antigens provides a crucial opportunity to develop new vaccines, diagnostics and immunotherapies. However, the accurate prediction and recognition of TCR–antigen pairing represents a substantial computational challenge in immunology. Existing tools only learn the binding patterns of antigens from many known TCR binding repertoires and fail to recognize antigens that have never been presented to the immune system or for which only a few TCR binding repertoires are known. However, the binding specificity for neoantigens or exogenous peptides is crucial for immune studies and immunotherapy. Therefore, we developed Pan-Peptide Meta Learning (PanPep), a general and robust framework to recognize TCR–antigen binding, by combining the concepts of meta-learning and the neural Turing machine. The neural Turing machine adds external memory to avoid forgetting previously learned tasks, which is used here to accurately predict TCR binding specificity with any peptide, particularly unseen ones. We applied PanPep to various challenging clinical tasks, including (1) qualitatively measuring the clonal expansion of T cells;(2) efficiently sorting responsive T cells in tumour neoantigen therapy;and (3) accurately identifying immune-responsive TCRs in a large cohort from a COVID-19 study. Our comprehensive tests show that PanPep outperforms existing tools. PanPep also offers interpretability, revealing the nature of peptide and TCR interactions in 3D crystal structures. We believe PanPep can be a useful tool to decipher TCR–antigen interactions and that it has broad clinical applications. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.

Perspective on Aggregation-induced Emission (AIE) Materials for Pathogen Detection

The rapid and accurate identification of pathogens plays a crucial role in clinical practice, which helps to prevent, control, and treat pathogenic infections at the initial stage. The current available technologies for pathogen detection appear to be inadequate in dealing with cases such as COVID-19. More importantly, the frequent emergence of drug-resistant bacteria is gradually rendering the existing therapeutic options ineffective. Efforts are urgently required to focus on the development of diagnostic systems for point-of-care (POC) detection and high-throughput pathogen identification. Since 2001, a new class of aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) with good photostability, high sensitiv-ity, and improved signal-to-noise ratio has emerged as powerful fluorescent tools for various biosensing and cell imaging. Based on the unique fluorescence of AIEgens that becomes stronger upon aggregation, naked-eye detection in turn-on mode has gained a speedy development. A timely overview can not only provide a summary of the advances and challenges of AIEgens in pathogen detection but also offer sys-tematic ideas for future developments. There are also expectations for in-depth interdisciplinary research in the field of analytical chemistry and microbiology. © 2023 Bentham Science Publishers.

Evaluation and Prediction of COVID-19 Case Fatality Rates from 156 countries

Background: Understanding the key factors affecting case fatality rates (CFRs) of COVID-19 is essential to guiding national response to pandemics. We aimed to investigate the country and period features of CFR in COVID-19 and predict the changes in CFR. Method(s): Cross-temporal and cross-country variations in CFR were identified by Extreme Gradient Boosting models using multiple features, and the effects of features were explained by applying SHapley Additive exPlanations. Result(s): The determinants of CFR changed during the COVID-19 pandemic from health conditions to a mixed effect dominated by vaccination rates (Fig 1). Overall, most countries have concurrent risk factors besides the main risk factors, and 156 countries were grouped into five clusters based on key CFR risk factors (Fig 1). A low vaccination rate drove cluster 1 was found primarily in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Aging drove cluster 2, primarily distributed in the high-income European countries, and a high burden of disease characterises cluster 3 and low GDP related cluster 4 were scattered across continents. Furthermore, simulating a 5% increase in vaccination rates resulted in a 31.2% and 15.0% change in CFR for cluster 1 and cluster 3, respectively, but only 3.1% for cluster2. (Fig 1). Conclusion(s): The features affecting COVID-19 CFRs show diversity across countries, and declining CFRs require more than increasing vaccination coverage. (Figure Presented).

Definition, characteristics and methodological interpretation of Cochrane rapid reviews.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the number of studies using rapid reviews (RR) for rapid evidence-based decision-making has been increasing. RR can significantly improve the timeliness of evidence and play an important role in decision making. To clarify the definition of RR and standardize its application, the Cochrane RR Methodology Group defined RR in 2021 and published the evidence-based guidelines for RR methodology. To promote researchers' understanding of RR, standardize the application of RR methodology, and improve the overall quality of this type of research, this paper introduced the development history of RR and interpreted the definition, characteristics and methodological content of RR.Copyright © 2023 West China University of Medical Science. All rights reserved.

Definition, characteristics and methodological interpretation of Cochrane rapid reviews.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the number of studies using rapid reviews (RR) for rapid evidence-based decision-making has been increasing. RR can significantly improve the timeliness of evidence and play an important role in decision making. To clarify the definition of RR and standardize its application, the Cochrane RR Methodology Group defined RR in 2021 and published the evidence-based guidelines for RR methodology. To promote researchers' understanding of RR, standardize the application of RR methodology, and improve the overall quality of this type of research, this paper introduced the development history of RR and interpreted the definition, characteristics and methodological content of RR.Copyright © 2023 West China University of Medical Science. All rights reserved.

Practice Update – Social-psychological emergency response during Wuhan lockdown: Internet-based crisis intervention

Wuhan was completely locked down in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its residents were isolated, depressed. They were badly in need of information, advice, and psychological support. However, social and psychological services could only be provided by distance. The Social Workers Across Borders trained and supervised more than 120 volunteers to offer e-counselling services through WeChat platforms. The digital environment was very different from real life or even hotline settings. Wechat platforms, similar to that of WhatsApp, enabled multi-players, multi-media, and multidirectional exchanges for as many as 500 participants. They could raise questions, share information and offer opinions. Volunteers, composed of medical students, psychological counsellors, social workers, community workers, and lay community volunteers, were understandably not ready for the challenge. The teams found that traditional crisis intervention skills training, designed for face-to-face emotional support, was no longer sufficient to ensure satisfactory results in the digital environments. The current study, based on the analysis of the supervision records of the volunteers, discussed the hindering factors in providing Social Psychological e-services and proposed their respective solutions. A new mode of Social Psychological Emergency Response has emerged and our traditional training for respective responders needs to be revolutionized © The Author(s) 2022

The Effects of Air Pollution and Meteorological Factors in the Transmission and Lethality of COVID-19

The COVID-19 epidemic continues to have a negative impact on the economy and public health. There is a correlation between certain limits (meteorological factors and air pollution statistics) and verified fatal instances of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to several researchers. It has not yet been determined how these elements affect COVID-19. Using air pollution data and meteorological data from 15 cities in India from 2020 to 2022, Convergent Cross Mapping (CCM) is utilized to set up the causal link with new confirmed and fatal cases of COVID-19 in this study. Our experimental results show that the causal order of the factors influencing the diagnosis of COVID-19 is: humidity, PM25, temperature, CO, NO2, O3, PM10. In contrast to other parameters, temperature, PM25, and humidity are more causally associated with COVID-19, while data on air pollution are less causally related to the number of new COVID-19 cases. The causal order of the factors affecting the new death toll is as follows: temperature, PM25, humidity, O3, CO, PM10, NO2. The causality of temperature with new COVID-19 fatalities in India was higher than the causation of humidity with new COVID-19 deaths, and O3 also showed higher causality with it. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Optimization of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain expression in Pichia pastoris and evaluation of its immunogenicity.

Objective To effectively express the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in Pichia pastoris and to evaluate its immunogenicity. Methods The gene encoding the RBD protein was synthesized and cloned into the pPICZalphaA plasmid. After linearization, the plasmid was transferred and integrated into the genome of Pichia pastoris. The expressed RBD protein in culture supernatant was analyzed by Western blot and Biolayer interferometry. After screening, a single clone expressing the RBD protein was selected. The high-level expression of RBD protein was achieved by optimizing the fermentation process, including the salt concentration adjusting of the medium and induction condition optimization (pH, temperature and duration) . The immunogenicity of the expressed RBD protein was evaluated in a mouse model. Results A single clone with a high expression level of RBD protein was obtained and named RBD-X33. The expression level of RBD protein in the fermentation supernatant reached up to 240 mg / L after optimization of the induction condition (HBSM medium, pH = 6. 5 +/- 0. 3, 22 and 120 h) . In the mouse experiment, the recombinant RBD protein was formulated with Alum + CpG dual adjuvant and injected into mice. The binding IgG antibody levels were up to 2. 7 x 106 tested by ELISA and the neutralizing antibody levels were up to 726. 8 tested by live virus neutralizing antibody assay (prototype) . Conclusions The RBD protein could be efficiently expressed in Pichia pastoris and induce stronger immune response in animals. This study suggested that the recombinant SARS-CoV-2 RBD protein expressed in Pichia pastoris could serve as a candidate antigen in the development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.Copyright © 2022 Society of Microbiology and Immunology. All rights reserved.

Transmission risk of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Global evidence on the transmission of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection needs to be synthesized. Methods: A search of 4 electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases) as of January 24, 2021 was performed. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. Studies which reported the transmission rate among close contacts with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 cases were included, and transmission activities occurred were considered. The transmission rates were pooled by zero-inflated beta distribution. The risk ratios (RRs) were calculated using random-effects models. Results: Of 4923 records retrieved and reviewed, 15 studies including 3917 close contacts with asymptomatic indexes were eligible. The pooled transmission rates were 1.79 per 100 person-days (or 1.79%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.41%–3.16%) by asymptomatic index, which is significantly lower than by presymptomatic (5.02%, 95% CI 2.37%–7.66%;p<0.001), and by symptomatic (5.27%, 95% CI 2.40%–8.15%;p<0.001). Subgroup analyses showed that the household transmission rate of asymptomatic index was (4.22%, 95% CI 0.91%–7.52%), four times significantly higher than non-household transmission (1.03%, 95% CI 0.73%–1.33%;p=0.03), and the asymptomatic transmission rate in China (1.82%, 95% CI 0.11%–3.53%) was lower than in other countries (2.22%, 95% CI 0.67%–3.77%;p=0.01). Conclusions: People with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection are at risk of transmitting the virus to their close contacts, particularly in household settings. The transmission potential of asymptomatic infection is lower than symptomatic and presymptomatic infections. This meta-analysis provides evidence for predicting the epidemic trend and promulgating vaccination and other control measures. Registered with PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, CRD42021269446;https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=269446. © 2022 The Author(s)