Coronavirus: India Is At Stage 2 Of Coronavirus Pandemic- Know What This Means And How COVID-19 Spreads

Coronavirus stages: India is currently at stage 2 of coronavirus pandemic which has hit over 100 countries. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), this means that currently there is no community transmission of the virus. "We already know that we are in Stage 2. We are not in Stage 3, clearly as of now. The third stage is community transmission, which we hope we shouldn't have," ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava said on Tuesday. "It would depend on how strongly we close our international borders, in which the government has taken very proactive steps. But we can't say that community transmission won't happen," he said.

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Coronavirus stages: The four stages of an outbreak

1. The first stage is when cases are imported from other countries. In this stage, only those who travelled abroad to places affected with coronavirus test positive.
2. Stage two occurs when local transmission from infected persons occur. The virus affects relatives or acquaintances of those who travelled abroad. In case of local transmission, fewer people are affected.
3. Stage three occurs when community transmission takes place. At the stage, larger areas get affected. Community transmission is when a patient who was not exposed to any infected person or one who has not travelled to any affected places, tests positive. At this stage, people are unable to identify from there got the virus. Italy and Spain are currently at stage three of coronavirus outbreak.
4. Stage four is the worst stage, when the disease takes the shape of an epidemic with no clear end point. This is what happened in China.

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Let's take a look at how coronavirus spreads

According to the World Health Organization, one can catch COVID-19 from others who are infected with the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from nose or mouth. These droplets spread when someone infected with COVID-19 coughs or exhales droplets. This is the reason why it is important to stay more than three feet away from someone who is infected with COVID-19.

Human transmission has been confirmed of COVID-19
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Is COVID-19 airborne?

According to latest research, the novel coronavirus is mainly transmitted through contact with respiratory droplets rather than through air.

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Is it possible to catch the infection from someone who has no symptoms?

Primary transmission of coronavirus is through respiratory droplets expelled by someone who is coughing. There are less chances of catching the infection from someone with no symptoms, according to WHO. Having said that, it is also important to know that many people with COVID-19 experience only mild symptoms, especially during early stages of the disease. One may catch the infection from someone who has mild cough but does not feel ill.

More research is being conducted on transmission of COVID-19.

Wash hands regularly to prevent being infected with coronavirus
Photo Credit: iStock

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Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.