Health officials in Teton County, Wyoming, confirmed yesterday that they believe at least one local case of coronavirus has been caused by ‘community transmission’, reports Buckrail.
An investigation into the county’s third case suggests community spread is responsible and two further positive tests bring the number of confirmed cases in the county to five.
Community spread is when you do not know the source of the infection — you are unable to trace it back to someone who has traveled in an affected area overseas or got it through contact with someone who is infected.
Community spread implies that the virus is now circulating in the community, and can infect people with no history — either of travel to affected areas or of contact with the infected person.
In a situation of community transmission, it is theoretically possible for every person regardless of where they are from or whether they have been in contact, to spread the infection.
It is expected that as testing becomes more widespread the number of cases could jump dramatically.
