A study conducted by CAPSULE (Campaign Against Pseudo Science Using Law and Ethics), an initiative of the Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP), on the nature of spread of COVID-19 in Kalady ward in the capital district, has found that a majority of the cases were asymptomatic and that much of the spread has happened in closed spaces, mainly at houses.

The study was conducted between August 8 and 14 among 38 of a total of 55 who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the ward. Out of the 38 people, only 13 displayed any kind of symptoms. The virus was detected in the rest of them when they were tested owing to concerns of having come in contact with those who tested positive. In three houses, all members tested positive, while in four other houses, all except one member tested positive. In four houses, only one person tested positive and no one else got it through contact.

Ventilation is key

“The one major difference we noted between the houses where virus spread took place with the ones where it did not is that in the former, most of the windows and doors were kept closed through the day. We have seen that one of the major sources of spread is aerosol transmission. When windows are kept open, the air inside the house is constantly circulated and replaced. This probably reduces the chance of spread from an affected person. This also might explain why the spread has been less even when people have come together in considerable numbers in open spaces,” said U. Nandakumar, chairman of CAPSULE.

He said this pointed towards the importance of maintaining vigilance even inside homes, by keeping it ventilated and maintaining distance from senior citizens and having separate chairs for them. Usage of masks could become necessary sometimes inside the home too, as youngsters moved more frequently outdoors, after the lifting of the lockdown.

“We have done this study in a considerably small area, where one of the major clusters in the capital district was first detected. If the State government can carry out similar studies in larger areas, we could probably learn some more lessons about preventing the virus spread,” said M.P. Anilkumar, convener, CAPSULE.