Hello and welcome to Episode 10 of the Moving Curve. I’m Rukmini, a data journalist, and every night I try to distill the developments of the day around the novel coronavirus in India and think about one question. Tonight I’m considering this one: what are super-spreaders and how do we stop them?
Reuters article by Devjyot Ghoshal and others on the Tablighi Jamaat: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-india-islam-insigh/the-religious-retreat-that-sparked-indias-major-coronavirus-manhunt-idUSKBN21K3KF
Patient 31 and the Shincheonji church in South Korea: https://graphics.reuters.com/CHINA-HEALTH-SOUTHKOREA-CLUSTERS/0100B5G33SB/index.html
The Baldev Singh cluster in Punjab: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/time-to-blame-or-learn-punjab-s-1st-coronavirus-death-sparks-super-spreader-fears-with-40-000-under-quarantine-1661337-2020-03-30
The Tablighi Jamaat cluster in Malaysia: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/03/575560/how-sri-petaling-tabligh-became-southeast-asias-covid-19-hotspot
In the US, 45 people were sick with coronavirus and two dead after a church choir rehearsal: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/01/us/washington-choir-practice-coronavirus-deaths/index.html
The best thing we can do, not just as regular decent people but also with an eye on the spread of the virus, is to not stigmatise those affected further…And finally, let’s focus on the real issue — these 647 people have contracted a new, frightening and deadly disease. They need treatment and empathy, and not this kind of tarring and feathering. It’s a sure fire way to make a super spreader go on spreading.
Thank you for listening. This episode was edited by Anand Krishnamoorthi. Tomorrow — a new question.
