Call to avert acceleration of COVID-19 from India's Sabarimala pilgrimage of 25 million devotees

J Travel Med. 2020 Dec 23;27(8):taaa153. doi: 10.1093/jtm/taaa153.

Abstract

India has the third-highest COVID-19 burden. Hosting the Sabarimala pilgrimage of an estimated 25 million can compromise the near-mitigated but fragile COVID-19 status of the host State of Kerala, accelerate the ongoing outbreaks in other states of India, and potentially in multiple countries with emigrants from Kerala.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; mass gathering; pandemic; religious pilgrimage; transmission.

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19 / epidemiology
  • COVID-19 / prevention & control*
  • Hinduism*
  • Humans
  • India / epidemiology
  • SARS-CoV-2*
  • Travel-Related Illness