Coronavirus: India still in local transmission stage, says Health Ministry
As the coronavirus outbreak worsens in India, the Ministry of Health on Monday clarified that India is still in the local transmission stage. The clarification came after a recent Health Ministry document stated that "limited community transmission" had started in the country. Meanwhile, the total number of positive cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crossed 1,000. Here are more details.
What did the Health Ministry document say?
A Health Ministry document detailing the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for transporting a suspect/confirmed case of COVID-19 stated: "This SOP is applicable to (the) current phase of COVID-19 pandemic in India (local transmission and limited community transmission)..." The Ministry has now said that that the word "community" is not used in the same context as what the public understands.
India still in the local transmission stage, Health Ministry said
Health Ministry Joint Secretary Luv Agarwal said, "Nowhere are we calling it community transmission. We are still in the local transmission stage. If we use the word 'community' then there is speculation." Agarwal added, "Kindly allow us to use the word 'community' but not in the context you have interpreted. Our country is in the local transmission stage."
What is local and community transmission?
In the context of COVID-19, local transmission simply means that a person was infected with the disease in India and not somewhere abroad (as was the case with India's initial infections). Community transmission would involve cases where a person gets infected, however, how they got infected cannot be established. This usually implies that the disease has spread significantly through the population.
India's COVID-19 death toll stands at 35
According to the Health Ministry website, India has reported a total of 1,071 COVID-19 cases. These include 29 deaths, 942 active cases, 99 cases where the patient was either cured or discharged, and one case where the patient migrated out of India. Since the Health Ministry's update, at least six other deaths have been reported, taking India's death toll to 35.
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 was first reported in China's Wuhan city in December 2019. The disease is caused by a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. The virus attacks a host's respiratory system triggering symptoms such as fever, cough, and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, it may cause pneumonia, multiple organ failure, or death. COVID-19 has spread to roughly 170 countries, killing over 34,000 and sickening 7.2 lakh.
