The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the nodal agency in fight against the Coronavirus in its latest research study, made public on Thursday,  suggests that there is indication of  community transmission of COVID-19 as people with no travel or contact history have got positive results for the virus from as early as March 22.

The research study is authored by many ICMR scientists, including its head Balram Bhargava which is published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research. Data compiled by ICMR  suggests that 38 per cent of  patients who tested positive for the virus  had no history of travel.

Although, last month the ICMR negated the suggestion of community transmission of the respiratory disease and continues with the same official position.

After random sampling the ICMR said, “Tests on SARI patients show no community transmission.” The tests for SARI or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness, a syndrom of COVID-19,  was conducted by ICMR  to check if any community transmission of COVID-19 was taking place. 5,911 people were tested  out of which 104 tested positive for COVID-19 and 40 people had no travel or contact history with Coronavirus positive people.

These 104 samples were taken from 52 districts of some 20 states and Union Territories.

Most of the Coronavirus positive patients in India acquired the disease due to their travel to foreign shores or contracted it from those who went abroad. So tracing the patient and isolating them was an easy way to contain the disease.

So far, ICMR was testing on patients who were showing the symptoms of COVID-19 like cough, fever and difficulty in breathing in only those who came from abroad,their contacts and the medical team looking after the patients.

Since the past 15 days, there is a huge jump in the number of Coronavirus cases, the ICMR has now increased testing and even roped in private laboratories for the tests.

With increased sampling, now 1.3 million tests have been conducted in the past 15 days. Out of 13,000 samples number of people who tested positive turned out to be between 1% and 3% of the samples.

During stage 3 or community transmission of the disease  it would be no  longer possible to trace the source of COVID-19 when there is a huge rise in the cases.

India reported 6,412 cases of COVID-19 on Friday, including 503 patients who have been treated and discharged and 199 deaths.