In a new development of contracting the coronavirus COVID-19 infection, forty people out of a total of 104 coronavirus patients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) were found to have contracted the infection without having any recent international travel history or contact with any confirmed cases of the disease, according to a study by apex medical research body Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)


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The ICMR came out with the findings after carrying out coronavirus tests on 5,911 SARI patients across 52 districts in 20 states and union territories between February 15 to April 2.


Out of the total sample size, 104 people (1.8 per cent) were found to have contracted coronavirus. Of the 104, 40  (39.2 per cent of those tested positive) of them did not have any recent international travel history or contact with any positive case of the infection, the study by the nodal medical research body said. These cases were reported from 36 districts in 15 states.


The chances of a SARI patient getting infected with COVID19 has increased from zero per cent before March 14 to 2.6 per cent by April 2. SARI is an acute respiratory condition in which a patient may develop complications of pneumonia or respiratory failure.


Though the study hints at possible community transmission, the Union Health Ministry on Friday clarified that no community transmission of COVID-19 in India has taken place yet but asked the people to remain aware and alert. It also asked people to not panic. The Health Ministry said, "If there is a community transmission, we will first let you know. Yesterday, only 0.2 per cent of the nationwide test of 16,002 tests was found positive."


The ICMR report said, "These districts need to be prioritised to target COVID-19 containment activities. Only two cases ( two per cent of those tested positive) reported contact with a confirmed case, one case ( one per cent of those tested positive) reported recent international travel, and, for about 59 such cases (57.8 per cent), exposure history was not available."


In Gujarat, 792 SARI patients were tested and 13 cases (1.6%) were found to be positive, in Tamil Nadu, 577 SARI patients tested, 5 cases (0.9%) found positive, in Maharashtra, 553 SARI patients tested, 21 cases (3.8%) found positive and in Kerala, 502 SARI patients tested, 1 case (0.2% ) found to be positive.
 
In India, the initial COVID-19 testing strategy included people who had international travel history with symptoms, symptomatic contacts of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients and symptomatic healthcare workers. The World Health Organisation (WHO) in March released a set of detailed guidelines on ways to treat SARI patients who have contracted the coronavirus.