Akarshan Lochun
China: A woman in Heilongjiang Province became a source of nCoV for 71 people because of elevators, despite all precautions.
A person with asymptomatic nCoV goes on a lift alone.
People tested for nCoV in Heilongjiang Province in mid-April Photo: Reuters
Attempts to track the contact not only helped to prevent the spread of Covid-19, but also showed how easily the pandemic is contagious.
The scientists agree that nCoV is primarily transmitted via respiratory droplets from infected patients and surfaces contaminated with the virus.
This has happened many times.
The CDC report focused on efforts to track exposure in Heilongjiang province, northeastern China, in mid-April. The locality at that time had not recorded any new cases for nearly a month.
On April 2, a man suffered a stroke, one of the potential signs of Covid-19, but has not been tested.
Stroke patients are transferred to another hospital for recuperation and continue to spread nCoV to 20 people.
People who have direct contact or appear near "Patient B" are all tested, while the hospital is cordoned off.
"Patient B" met the stroke and his children at a party on March 29, but no one else at the event had found a positive result.
They tested the girlfriend of "Patient B", along with his girlfriend's daughter.
Health workers wear Covid-19 victims in Wuhan in early April Photo: AFP
The team traced the virus genome, determined that it was different from the spreading nCoV strain in Heilongjiang.
By April 9, the experts were almost desperate and decided to collect data for all people living in the same apartment with their patients.
Health assessment shows that the person is healthy, has no symptoms of nCoV infection and strictly adheres to self-quarantine regulations.
"We believe that A0, the person returning from the US, is a asymptomatic patient and B1.1, the daughter of the girlfriend" Patient B ", was infected by contact with the surface in the shared elevator.
Research shows the severity of Covid-19, as well as the importance of contact tracing.
Previous studies have shown that nCoV can last for days on surfaces like steel and plastic, especially when they're in enclosed spaces.
"Patient A0" rides the elevator alone for 60 seconds and does not have direct contact with anyone.
Covid-19 was under control in Heilongjiang at the time, many people became caught off guard.
"Maintaining measures for screening, protection and isolation of people infected with nCoV is a vital factor in controlling the Covid-19 pandemic," the CDC study reads.
