A more recent study by the US-based Center for Disease, Dynamics, and Economic Policy (CDDEP) in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu has revealed that not all people infected with Covid-19 transmit the virus, indicating that the children are active transmitters.
The study, titled ‘Epidemiology and dynamics of Covid-19 transmission in two states of India’, was published in the September 30 issue of the journal ‘Science’.
Citing the findings, an Andhra Pradesh government official said that a team of researchers from CDDEP, the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, and the University of California at Berkeley studied patterns of disease transmission in 575,071 people exposed to 84,965 cases. confirmed Covid-19 in these two states.
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“The study, based on data collected by tens of thousands of contact markers in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, is the largest and most comprehensive analysis of Covid-19 epidemiology to date,” the official stated.
According to the study, prospective follow-up testing of exposed contacts revealed that 70 percent of infected people did not infect any of their contacts, while 8 percent of infected people accounted for 60 percent of new infections. observed.
The study found a high prevalence of infection among children who were case contacts close to their age. “The risk of transmission from an index case to close contact ranges from 2.6 percent in the community to 9.0 percent at home. Contacts of the same age are associated with the highest risk of infection, ”he said.
However, mortality is higher in the age group 40 to 69 years in these two states. It is 0.05 percent for people in the 5-17 age group and 16.6 percent for people over the age of 85. “Men were 62 percent more likely to die than women. Similarly, 63 percent of those who died had at least one comorbidity, while 36 percent had two or more comorbidities. Almost 45 percent of those who died were diabetic, ”the study revealed.
The study found that both Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have effective models of primary health care delivery. These two states have the largest health workforce and public health expenditures per capita. They began rigorous disease surveillance and contact tracing early in response to the pandemic, he said.
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“They have followed procedures including syndromic surveillance and testing for all people seeking care for severe acute respiratory illnesses or influenza-like illnesses in health centers, delineation of 5 km of“ containment zones ”around cases for surveillance daily from house to house to identify individuals with symptoms, ”he observed.
The study also noted that there is a daily follow-up of all laboratory confirmed or suspected Covid-19 case contacts, with the goal of evaluating these individuals 5-14 days after their contact with a primary case, regardless of symptoms. , to identify the subsequent transmission.
According to CDDEP Director Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan, this study was made possible by a significant contact tracing effort in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, which involved tens of thousands of healthcare workers.
“The results on disease transmission and mortality have the potential to inform policies to combat Covid-19. The study also speaks to the ability of research emerging from India to help inform the global response to Covid-19, “he said.
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