What The FAQ: IMA VP called PM Modi a super-spreader. What is super spreading, who is a super-spreader?

The National Vice-President of the Indian Medical Association, Dr Navjot Dahiya, on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a “super spreader” of the Coronavirus. He said that PM Modi has been holding massive political rallies in states which went to poll this year and has also let Kumbh Mela take place in the middle of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic "tossing all COVID-19 norms in the air". But what is super-spreading and how do you become a super-spreader? Here's all you need to know.

What does "super spreader" mean?
A "super-spreader" is an individual who is capable to pass on the disease to others. But the World Health Organisation (WHO) does not use the term "super-spreading" technically. But it also said that "there can be incidents of transmission where a large number of people can become infected from a common source" — a super-spreader.

What do scientists say?
As they research more on the disease and how it is spreading, it has become clear to scientists that the super-spreader incidents where one person has infected a lot of people who have come in their proximity have a huge role to play when it comes to the spread of the virus. Experts say that preventing super-spreader incidents will help contain the disease much better.

How can such events be prevented?
Scientists have found that large crowds, close contact among people, and staying in closed spaces with bad ventilation. Experts say that these conditions play a bigger role in aggravating the situation than the individual involved. Avoiding large crowds, close contact is thus the key to preventing super-spreading events.