Household spread of COVID-19 is quick and common: Study

NEW DELHI: A study from United States of America Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that in-family spread of COVID-19 among members, if one person is infected, is “common”. It stated that the spread is quick after the onset of symptoms. The study said that the suspected person should be isolated until the test results are given to protect other members from the infection.

The study was published on Friday, October 30, in the CDC’s weekly report on Morbidity and Mortality. The researchers followed almost 101 people initially infected with COVID-19 along with 191 others who lived in their households. The spread of infection was quick as over half of the population (53 per cent) who stayed with infected person became infected within a week. Around 75 per cent of the secondary infections occurred within five days of the appearance of first symptoms in the initial patient.

Study said that 53 per cent of the household infection rate is slightly higher rate than what was documented so far. Some of the precautions recommended by the study included: isolating yourself or your loved ones, a supply checklist for necessary items, cover up and disinfecting the surroundings and usable and proper tracking of the home isolation.