More than three years after the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, mathematical modeling is still providing us with valuable insights, as shown in a recent study on household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by the Hong Kong University School of Public Health and the Institut Pasteur/Université Paris Cité.Scientists believe that there is a subset of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 who are three times more likely to spread the virus to other individuals than the average person.
The role of so-called 'superspreading events' in transmitting SARS-CoV-2 has been well studied during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many studies have focused on group events that led to numerous infections. The overall results suggest that a small proportion (20%) of infected individuals cause more than half (80%) of virus transmission, but it is unclear if such transmission heterogeneity is driven by the difference in the number of exposed contacts rather than biological and behavioral factors.
Read the entire IP press release here
Comments