in part of this cohort

[GoodTaste]

I don't quite understand the use of "in part" here. "in part of X" can usually be understood as "10% to 30% of X". If it was the case here, then there is a problem for understanding its true meaning: Because the title of the letter is "Natural History of Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection", so the expression "we report the natural history of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in part of this cohort" should be consistent with the title (the theme), it should have been "in main part of this cohort". That is, it points to the possibility that the word "main" has been inadvertantly or mistakenly dropped. What is your opinion?

================
Natural History of Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection

TO THE EDITOR:
Information on the natural history of asymptomatic infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains scarce.1-3 The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on the cruise ship Diamond Princess led to 712 persons being infected with SARS-CoV-2 among the 3711 passengers and crew members, and 410 (58%) of these infected persons were asymptomatic at the time of testing (see the Supplementary Appendix, available with the full text of this letter at NEJM.org).4,5 Here, we report the natural history of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in part of this cohort.

Source: New England Journal of Medicine
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2013020?query=featured_home

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

It's correct as written. Whether it's the main part or not isn't relevant to what the letter writer is saying.

And if it were relevant, the writer would have said "the main part."

 

[probus]

Simply "main part of this cohort" is unidiomatic. If you intended "the main part" meaning "the greater part" that is inconsistent with the numbers quoted. 712 out of 3711 is just over 19% and of that 19% 58% were asymptomatic. So there is no way "main" is appropriate there.

 

[GoodTaste]

Simply "main part of this cohort" is unidiomatic. If you intended "the main part" meaning "the greater part" that is inconsistent with the numbers quoted. 712 out of 3711 is just over 19% and of that 19% 58% were asymptomatic. So there is no way "main" is appropriate there.

So "this cohort" here refers to "the 3711 passengers and crew members"?

 

[GoesStation]

So "this cohort" here refers to "the 3711 passengers and crew members"?

Yes.

 

[probus]

So "this cohort" here refers to "the 3711 passengers and crew members"?

Yes. This use of cohort is standard medical jargon when discussing the incidence of mortaility and morbidity.