Sans curbs, carrier would’ve infected 13 a day

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 7

The government today urged people to follow the lockdown seriously, citing an ICMR study which has found that social distancing can significantly reduce the Covid infection rate.

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The study says in the absence of any lockdown, one person would have the capability to infect 406 persons over 30 days, which means 13.5 persons a day.

“If we take the rate of reproduction of the virus (number of people one infected person can infect) to be 2.5, one person would infect 406 over 30 days in the absence of social distancing. However, if we reduce social exposure by 75 per cent, one infected person will be able to pass the virus to only 2.5 persons a month,” Health Ministry spokesman Lav Agarwal said. The study was shared to stress the importance of lockdown to India’s containment strategy as cases topped 4,789 and deaths 124. There were 722 additional cases in a day and 15 more deaths. So far, 352 persons have been cured and discharged. The government today also released guidelines on managing hospitals and facilities for Covid patients and asked states to use technology-based solutions for surveillance and to track the home-quarantined.

The guidelines ask states to ready three categories of facilities for Covid-19. “Dedicated Covid health centre will care for cases clinically assigned as moderate. These should either be a full hospital or a separate block having beds with assured oxygen support. Dedicated Covid hospitals will care for those who have been clinically assigned as severe. These should be fully equipped with ICUs, ventilators and oxygen support,” Agarwal said.

Cabinet Secretary Rajeev Gauba, meanwhile, asked states to ensure hassle-free availability of medical oxygen in designated hospitals.