New Delhi, March 23: Asked whether community transmission of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has begun in India, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) maintained that it cannot confirm. Speaking to Times of India, ICMR epidemiologist Dr RR Gangakhedkar said that certain tests were being conducted to understand the spread of coronavirus and Tuesday will be crucial when they would get some results. Coronavirus Outbreak Live News Updates.

"We are not in a position till now to say if community transmission is happening. Mathematical modelling is being done and we will get some impressions by Tuesday," Dr Gangakhedkar was quoted as saying. Community transmission will occur when a person with no travel history to a coronavirus-hit country or known contact with a confirmed case tests positive for the disease. India has reported cases where the infected person has no history of foreign travel.

On Sunday, Gujarat reported its death due to coronavirus. The 69-year-old deceased had no foreign travel history but had visited virus-hit Delhi and Jaipur. Similarly, in Mumbai, a 63-year-old man, who had no immediate history of international travel, succumbed to the disease. Earlier, a 20-year-old man from Delhi contracted coronavirus in Chennai. He did not travel to any foreign country but had come in contact with a person with foreign travel history.

"This virus is very strong and its transmission rate is very high," Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry, said. Speaking of a vaccine, ICMR director general Dr Balram Bhargava indicated no success. "Some combinations of drugs have been tried but there is no magical pill for its cure. Deaths are still taking place in Italy, the US and UK where the health infrastructure is much better," Dr Bhargava was quoted as saying.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 23, 2020 09:03 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).