No, not everyone infected with the mumps virus will develop symptoms.
It's like the virus stealthily enters your body without causing a major stir. This is medically known as "asymptomatic infection" or "subclinical infection."
Specifically:
- Approximately 15% to 30% of infected individuals may have no symptoms at all, or symptoms so mild that they don't even notice them.
- The key point is: even without symptoms, these individuals are still contagious! They can unknowingly spread the virus to others through coughing, sneezing, or saliva. This is why sometimes you might find yourself infected even if you haven't had contact with a typical mumps patient.
For those who do develop symptoms, the most typical manifestation is what we commonly call "swollen cheeks," which refers to the swelling and pain of one or both parotid glands, usually accompanied by fever, headache, fatigue, and other flu-like symptoms.
So, to summarize: getting mumps doesn't necessarily mean you'll have "swollen cheeks," but even without "swollen cheeks," you can still infect others. This is one of the reasons why promoting vaccination is so important, as it can effectively prevent the spread of the virus and protect ourselves and those around us.