Could Patient 31 Hold the Key to India's Growing Pandemic Problem ?

Abstract

India has been under lock down for the last 15 days, and anything done to control the pandemic, or to reduce the number has largely been a failure. Not so long ago, a Single source event occurred, that has resulted in spike of corona positive patients. While these infected patients have spread across the country, it is difficult to trace and isolate them to stop further spread. A country of 1.38 billion. Its not only tough but nearly impossible to find someone who has attended a religious congregation, that would not have documented his presence. Yet, there is a glimmer of hope.

India has been lucky as South Korea, a country much smaller in size and population, has dealt with a similar incident and been able to control the spread to a large extent. The drop in numbers infected has reduced to 126 in the last 24 hours from a whopping 992/day in the end of February.

What began with the discovery of Patient 31 in South Korea gives India a fighting chance if it can implement the Korean model at state levels.

Keywords: COVID19, patient 31, South Korea Model of COVID 19

JEL Classification: I1, I10