Prof Gautam Menon explains 'super-spreaders' concept behind COVID-19

Prof Gautam Menon from Ashoka University, while speaking to The Federal for a podcast, explained the reasons behind ‘Indian Exceptionalism’ with regard to the deaths due to COVID-19 and the concept of super-spreaders, based on their study.

He said the study was conducted on a large scale in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh using data compiled during the early stages of the pandemic, between February and April. Intensive contact-tracing had led the team to find that a small number of people had been responsible for the spread of COVID-19 among a significant portion of people.

“It is called the 20-80 rule, where 20 percent of the people or less transmit the disease to the remaining 80 percent of the people,” Prof Menon said.

Furthermore, contrary to what other epidemiologists said about the absence of Indian Exceptionalism with regard to the COVID-19 mortality rate, Prof Menon asserted that ‘Indian Exceptionalism’ did prove to be true, at least as far as the death rate of senior citizens due to COVID-19 in India was concerned.

Listen to the podcast below to know what Prof Menon said about India’s super-spreaders and the COVID mortality rate.