Indian Council of Medical Research and COVID-19 Testing

Indian Council of Medical Research and COVID-19 Testing

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Governance

In News:

• ICMR has decided to monitor community transmission by random sampling rather than expanding testing. 
• This decision has been taken to avoid “futile testing” as well as hospitalisation for mildly symptomatic, positive patients.

Four Stages of Transmission of COVID-19

• Stage 1-Imported Transmission
• Stage 2-Local Transmission
  • Transmission through direct contact with an infected person within the country.
• Stage 3-Community Transmission
  • It signifies that a virus is circulating in the community and can affect people with no history of travel to affected areas or of contact with an infected person.
  • India’s strategy on social distancing and isolation is aimed at checking community transmission.

• Stage 4- Epidemic

• • An epidemic is a large outbreak, one that spreads among a population or region.
  • It is less severe than pandemic due to a limited area of spread.