Hyderabad: Asymptomatic carriers of coronavirus have led to the spread of Covid-19 cases in South Korea, Iran and Italy; there is no spread of the disease in India even though there were three confirmed cases in Kerala. This has raised questions in medical circles both nationally and internationally about why the virus has not spread in India.
Despite India’s geographical proximity to China, and also travel and trade ties between the two countries, India has not seen a spread. Why?
One of the reasons is rising temperatures in India. The shift from cold to hot and humid conditions is seen as one of the reasons for the containment of the virus.
Dr G. Navodaya, consultant, general medicine, Care Hospitals, said that researchers in the National University of Singapore believe that increase in temperature kills the virus.
“A regular coronavirus survives 30 times longer in temperatures of 6 degrees C compared to temperatures of 20 degrees C. The seasonal pattern of Covid-19 is similar to that of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The flu season starts in December and peaks in January or February and is over during the summer months. How the virus behaves after that in countries which it has entered thr-ough human to human transmission is yet to be seen,” Dr Navodaya said.
Another reason could be the virulence of the virus. Dr Subakhar K, professor of Pulmono-logy, explained, “The three cases in Kerala could be less virulent and were contained in time. The host, the human body that carried the virus, had better immunity to fight it within the body. Due to this reason the virus being emitted out of the body was not that high. This also helps in containing the spread of the virus.”
All those who have come back from China have self-reported and followed the pattern of isolation, which is another reason why it has not spread.
“In India, winter months have seen continuous swine flu cases (H1N1) and that has kept people on edge. The protocols of precaution to be followed in H1N1 are to be followed in the case of corona virus too. This could also have worked in our favour to contain the spread. But we have to continue our vigilance as travel and trade keep the window of opportunity open for the entry of the virus,” Dr Subhakar warned.
Experts believe that Kerala’s robust monitoring system has helped in a big way and played a crucial role in containing the spread.
Dr Nalini N., senior consultant Pulmonary and Sleep Disorders at Continental Hospital, said, “Kerala has learnt from the Nipah virus outbreak in July 2018 and their response to Covid-19 has been extremely effective. There was timely dissemination of information, surveillance and quarantine which has helped to contain the spread. They have rightly followed the protocols set by the World Health Organisation which ens-ured that there was no spread like that seen in other parts of the world.”
Does this mean Indians are off the radar for corona virus?
“No,” said Dr C. Vijay Kumar, senior pulmonologist at Apollo Hospitals.
“We have to wait and watch when the temperatures dip. That will be seen during the monsoon months, in July, and in the winter months.
Those will be the testing times.”
