That was @solidevidence.bsky.social's conservative, back-of-the-envelope estimate. Many factors make determining the true rate very difficult. To mention a few:
• Many chronic infections cannot be detected via traditional nasal swabs as they inhabit the deep lung, GI tract, or other bodily niche
• The factor I mentioned above: chronic intrahost lineages being replaced within the host with by humdrum circulating variants
• Undersampling in regions of the world likely to have higher rates of chronic infection
• Oversampling of patients w/cancer or other condition they're being treated for
Comments
• Many chronic infections cannot be detected via traditional nasal swabs as they inhabit the deep lung, GI tract, or other bodily niche
• Undersampling in regions of the world likely to have higher rates of chronic infection
• Oversampling of patients w/cancer or other condition they're being treated for