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Victorian health officials suspect the Indian variant is able to jump from one person to another two hours after an infected person has left an indoor setting.
Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton on Wednesday compared the variant to the measles, saying a greater proportion of total cases were arising from transmissions in casual or “more fleeting†exchanges.
“We do have a suspicion that there’s been transmission two hours after any infectious cases left an indoor enclosed space,†Professor Sutton said.
“They were there for a substantial period of time, but they had left two hours before the next exposed individual came in, who’s become a case.
“Now that’s in the kind of measles category of infectiousness.
“It probably relates to an unventilated setting where someone spent a great deal of time but to come in two hours later and be infected.
“Look, it might be on surfaces, but it could absolutely be through airborne transmission as well because of that indoor setting.â€
Another case is suspected to have caught the virus at the Brighton Beach Hotel even though they dined outdoors.
“We think there was an infectious case dining there outdoors. This new case from (Tuesday) overnight was also dining with a group of other people.
“They all tested negative but this individual tested positive.
“They were outdoors or they were in a well-ventilated, shaded but effectively ventilated setting, but nonetheless transmissions occurred.
“We know that ventilation is a great risk mitigator but it‘s not going to do the whole thing when you’ve got a really contagious variant.â€
Three cases of coronavirus were recorded in Victoria in the past 24 hours as Melburnians prepare for an extended lockdown.
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