Superspreading happens when a single person infected with the disease spreads it to a large number of clusters of people. This generally happens during every infectious disease outbreak. The people who spread infections to clusters of people are known as super-spreaders. After the coronavirus started spreading all over the world, many countries reported coronavirus superspreading. In the current pandemic situation, statistically, it is said that a single person infected with the novel infects two or three people when they are in close contact with them. But these numbers are only the average and superspreaders infect far more. How infectious someone is, depends on a lot of factors that vary significantly, which include:
- The dose of the virus in its initial infection
- How long they got infected
- How serious their symptoms are
Moreover, when they are at their most contagious point, it is what they do that really causes things that arts the superspreading. Super spreading can have a huge effect on the situation of the outbreak or pandemic. It can increase a large number of cases at once. This happens because some just come into contact with far more people than others- either due to their work, or where they live.
Scientists have been keeping track on the clusters of COVID-19 patients since the beginning. It was found that most of the coronavirus superspreading was found in hospitals, care homes, and cruise ships. Sometimes, super-spreaders are not just individuals but also events that cause a sudden surge in the cases. During such events, a large cluster of people who have attended the event and have come into contact with the super-spreader unleashes a chain of transmission. For example, the case of patient 31 in South Korea where a woman with coronavirus had attended church services with over 500 people attending the program. She infected thousands of people at once. Also the controversial super-spreader issue in India where people from Tablighi Jamaat spread infection all over the country.
Identifying these dynamics and transmitting patterns is critical to know how necessary it is to keep social distance, and to find gaps where action and policies need to be focused. The solution to this is simple. Self-isolate, remain indoors and observe hygiene in the hands and breathing. Consult a doctor if you notice any symptoms, and get tested if advised. The selfishness or carelessness of one single person will unwittingly influence a number of others, some of whom can succumb to the disease.
