New cases take India coronavirus numbers to 415, crucial info from ICMR likely tomorrow

Coronavirus cases in India rose further today to touch 415, new data showed.

Tomorrow, India may get the first glimpse of a host of key information related to the spread of coronavirus in the country, said ICMR, the country's premier medical research body.

The new study being carried by ICMR could likely foretell the number of patients that India might see in the next few months.


With cases of infection now well over the 400-mark, all eyes are currently on whether or not has India entered the crucial community transmission phase.

It is not yet certain if India has entered that stage but some big revelations are soon expected, an epidemiologist with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) told ToI.

Mathematical modelling is underway and the authorities may get some inkling as early as Tuesday, said Dr R R Gangakhedkar.

So far, while there have been no definitive signs of community transmission having begun, there are a few cases that have raised suspicion and fear. Gujarat's first casualty, a 69-year-old from Surat, had no history of foreign travel, but had visited virus-hit Delhi and Jaipur. A Mumbai victim, a 63-year-old diamond merchant, also had not travelled anywhere outside India recently.

A total of 18,383 samples from 17,493 individual have been tested for Covid-19 as of March 23, ICMR said in an update. A total of 415 individuals have been confirmed positive among the suspected cases & contacts of known positive cases.