bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

TODAY

Someone who is infected with the novel coronavirus can spread it to two to three other people on average. 
Then, there may be carriers who do not pass on the virus to anyone and there may be those who are “super spreaders” – patients who tend to spread the virus more rapidly and to more people than the average person.
One example is that of a British man who infected 11 others after picking up the Covid-19 disease during a business meeting held at the Grand Hyatt Singapore.
Are such patients a cause for concern in the race to contain the ongoing public health crisis?


What exactly are ‘super spreaders’?
Tikki Pangestu, a visiting fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, said a “super spreader” refers to an infected person who moves around a lot and therefore spreads the virus to many other people in many different locations.
There will usually be such people during most infectious disease outbreaks, and studies have shown that they existed during epidemics caused by other coronaviruses such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers), the professor added.
Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious diseases specialist at Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre, said that a patient needs to infect at least five to 10 others to be considered a “super spreader”.
Coronavirus: how Diamond Princess became a ‘super spreading’ site
However, the experts interviewed by TODAY said that there is still insufficient information available at the moment to determine the reasons why some patients are “super spreaders” and why others are not.
In a recent interview with CNA, Pangestu also emphasised that the estimated figure of two to three people is an average that is based on the available data on the virus.
“It’s very difficult to measure (the average number that a patient can infect) especially in a situation that is changing every day,” said Pangestu, who is a former director of the World Health Organisation’s research policy and cooperation department in Geneva, Switzerland.
“You could have one person infecting 100 people … and you could have 10 others that infect nobody. So take that with a pinch of salt,” he said.

Why do super spreaders infect more people?
There is no concrete answer on whether “super spreaders” are more effective at spreading the virus than others, but infectious disease experts said there are several possible reasons why the transmission rate is high for such patients.
Ooi Eng Eong, deputy director of the Emerging Infectious Disease Programme at the Duke-NUS Medical School, said it could be as simple as whether the infected patient is sociable or not.
“If, for instance, they have inadvertently coughed into their hands and then, without washing them, shaken other people’s hands or shared food or (cutlery) … that is how it will cross,” the professor said.
Coronavirus: thermometer guns ‘notoriously’ unreliable
Another possibility is that the “super spreader” could be someone who has a high viral load because they have a poor immune system, Leong explained. They could then release large amounts of the virus from their bodies.
He added that these individuals could also just be patients who do not observe good manners when coughing or sneezing and so end up infecting many other people.

While there may be biological factors at play, Ooi said it is unlikely that researchers will be able to confirm this in the near future.
“We do not yet fully understand (and) I don’t think that the science will be able to work it out because the number of such people is still very small,” he said. “When the numbers are very small, (scientists) will not be able to tell if what they find is by chance or if it’s real.”
On whether a super-spreading event is likelier to happen when a virus jumps borders to another country and enters a new environment to establish itself, Pangestu said that there is no evidence to support that.
Surgical masks protect more from germs on fingers than viruses in air: experts
Super-spreading events could be more likely if the people around super spreaders are already vulnerable to disease such as the elderly, young or those with serious illness.
Hsu Li Yang, an associate professor who heads the infectious diseases programme at the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said: “The presence of a super spreader is worrying, but it is also important to appreciate that this phenomenon is normal in any epidemic. 
“Generally, such persons should also not be vilified – in many cases, it is not through any fault of the individual that he or she spreads the disease to many others than the average.”


Are there ‘super spreaders’ in Singapore?
In Singapore, at least 18 people from two branches of the Grace Assembly of God church have taken ill and tested positive for the Covid-19 disease, prompting questions of whether there is a super spreader there.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on February 14 though, that there is not enough evidence to suspect that this is the case.
Kenneth Mak, the director of medical services at MOH, said: “At this time, we do not have enough information to identify a particular individual as being a super spreader or to suspect that this is indeed the case.”
Science vs politics: did the US overreact to the coronavirus outbreak?
If it becomes clear that the Covid-19 disease is highly infectious, then the concept of a super spreader might need to be adjusted, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong.
“If one person has the flu, you can expect quite a number of people around him to also be exposed to flu symptoms – similar to H1N1, (in that) it is quite easy to transmit,” Gan said. “Therefore we have to recognise that you will tend to have larger clusters – and that does not necessarily mean that you will encounter a super spreader.”


How do ‘super spreaders’ change the way disease is managed?
The most effective way to stop “super spreaders” is still to ensure that infected cases are isolated quickly, Pangestu said.
Ooi said the precautionary measures to protect oneself from the virus remains the same regardless of whether the infected patient is a “super spreader” or otherwise. 
Members of the public should still exercise good hygiene by washing hands regularly and not touching the parts of the face where the virus enter such as the eyes, nose and mouth, and to continue to act in a socially responsible manner, such as choosing to stay at home if they feel unwell or have flu-like symptoms such as sore throat, runny nose, fever or cough, he said.
Leong said that the best way to identify “super spreaders” and control the outbreak is to be as accurate as possible when contract tracing.
“The higher the accuracy of contract tracing, the better your ability to control the outbreak. If you can hit 80 to 90 per cent of contact tracing, then the more successful we are at (preventing the virus from spreading).”


Hong Kong Covid levels ease from recent peak, but set to persist in coming months

New Covid variant may be driving up cases in parts of the world: WHO

Doll’s house hobby has mental health benefits even if prices make it far from child’s play

Covid cases reaching a peak in China and will start falling next month: leading expert

Coronavirus pandemic

Coronavirus: What are ‘super spreaders’ and are they a cause for concern?

A worker seen in a protective face mask in Beijing on February 7, 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE

A Malaysian health quarantine officer waits for passengers at a thermal screening point at a cruise ship terminal, following the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, in Port Klang, Malaysia February 13, 2020. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng

epa08217010 Thai soon-to-be married couples wearing protective masks have their temperature checked at a marriage registry in Bangkok, Thailand, 14 February 2020. Thai Public Health officials said that the number of people infected with the deadly coronavirus or COVID-19 in Thailand remained at 33. Nine had been discharged from hospitals. The virus has so far killed at least 1,360 people and infected nearly 60,000 others worldwide, mostly in China. EPA-EFE/DIEGO AZUBEL

What you need to know about the coronavirus and how to protect yourself against Covid-19

The World Health Organisation has declared the new coronavirus, which has killed tens of thousands, a pandemic. Photo: AFP

Coronavirus: how Diamond Princess cruise ship became a ‘super spreading’ site

Passengers and crew on the Diamond Princess cruise liner are under quarantine until February 19, 2020. Photo: Reuters

Passengers and children stand on the desk of the cruise ship Diamond Princess, as the vessel's passengers continue to be tested for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, Japan February 13, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

Coronavirus: the new disease Covid-19 explained

Surgical masks protect more from germs on fingers than viruses in the air, experts say after panic buying

Surgical masks have been in demand across the world, with shortages and price inflation common. Photo: EPA-EFE

How China-US mistrust pushed the WHO into a coronavirus corner

A WHO team will begin its investigation into the coronavirus outbreak this weekend. Photo: Xinhua via AP

This Week in Asia

Explained

News

Asia


Poor hygiene, a weak immune system, or proximity to people vulnerable to illness are some reasons super spreading occurs
The most effective way to stop super spreaders is to ensure that infected cases are isolated quickly, says one expert



Poor hygiene, a weak immune system, or proximity to people vulnerable to illness are some reasons super spreading occurs.


Disease

Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

Explainers

Wellness

Provide background, definition and detail of a specific topic, helping the reader understand how something works or what has happened in the past.  (Eg. What is Nafta? US and Mexico are on the verge of revising trade deal.)


Explainer

Explainer | Coronavirus: What are ‘super spreaders’ and are they a cause for concern?

Poor hygiene, a weak immune system, or proximity to people vulnerable to illness are some reasons super spreading occurs The most effective way to stop super spreaders is to ensure that infected cases are isolated quickly, says one expert

What exactly are ‘super spreaders’?

Poor hygiene, a weak immune system, or proximity to people vulnerable to illness are some reasons super spreading occurs

The most effective way to stop super spreaders is to ensure that infected cases are isolated quickly, says one expert