A recent study examining nearly 50,000 COVID cases admitted to 100 Veteran Affairs (VA) hospitals in the US has come to some startling conclusions.

The researchers (Dr. Fillmore et al) discovered that between March 2020 and January 2021 (pre-vaccination period), 36% of the COVID admissions were actually asymptomatic, meaning they were showing no symptoms of the virus or had mild symptoms.

The number who had mild or no symptoms jumped to 48% of COVID admissions from mid-January to the end of June 2021.

The researchers concluded that in the first half of 2021, nearly half of the admissions were either for unrelated health issues or for mild symptoms of the virus.

According to the report, VA hospitals test every admission for COVID. Many were admitted for other issues, and only found out they had asymptomatic or a mild case of COVID once they were in the hospital.

The researchers noted that this study involved mostly men and took place largely before the Delta variant hit.

READ: New study indicates about half of COVID hospitalizations this year were of patients with mild or no symptoms AND The COVID-19 Hospitalization Metric in the Pre- and Post-vaccination Eras as a Measure of Pandemic Severity: A Retrospective, Nationwide Cohort Study

RELATED: THIRD of UK Covid victims in July and August ‘died from OTHER causes’ – including cancer or being hit by a car – Oxford University scientists reveal

A report last year, by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), stated that only 6% of the people who died from COVID, died solely of the virus, the remaining 94% had an average of 2.6 underlying health conditions. READ: CDC: 6% of coronavirus deaths were solely from COVID-19