For the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic in Telangana, an official of the directorate of state medical health education has admitted that community transmission of Covid-19 has begun in the state.
In an interview to a TV channel, the official of the directorate of medical health education said, “Community spread has begun. In some cases, we are not able to determine the source and chain of infections. People have to be very careful in the coming four to five weeks. Unless civic sense prevails on people and they take home quarantine seriously, there will be a bigger surge and the possibility of a vast community spread,” the official of directorate of medical health education stated.
He admitted that post-lockdown there has been a surge in cases due to influx of people from more infected states, many also did not strictly follow home quarantine rules, leading to further spread among their family members and primary contacts, he pointed out.
The startling revelation comes at a time the state had been witnessing an alarming rise in the Covid-19 cases. Telangana reported 1,558 positive cases and nine succumbed to Covid 19 in the last 24 hours. The total number of positive cases crossed 49,259 while the fatalities crossed 438.
According to the World Health Organization, community spread occurs when a positive patient has not been exposed to another known Covid-19 patient, indicating that the infection is well-established in the community.
Even as the directorate of state medical health education confirmed there was community transmission in Telangana, the KCR government has remained silent on it. As a matter of fact, the government since the outbreak of the pandemic had been in a denial mode and maintained there was no community transmission even as the state neared 50,000 Covid-19 cases.
Health minister Eetala Rajender ruled out community transmission in Telangana citing a report by the directorate general of Indian Council of Medical Research report.
Exponential rise in Covid-19 positive cases among people and chances of them infecting the local population is a major risk factor, the official said. The regions that are most at risk of community transmission include Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Rangareddy, Sangareddy, Medchal, Bhadradri Kothagudem and Karimnagar
Further, the official of the directorate of medical health education cautioned that the state could see a further surge in the cases if people fail to follow protocols such as use of masks in public and physical distancing norms.
