Thursday, June 4, 2020
Wear the mask properly. It’s how you protect others, and yourself
Wear the mask properly. It’s how you protect others, and yourself
Covering The Face Essential To Prevent Infection From Droplets & Break Corona Transmission Chain, Say Experts
Snehil.Sinha@timesgroup.com
04.06.2020
The importance of wearing a mask is now widely understood. Look around you, and almost everyone has a mask strapped on. But how many are wearing the mask properly? How many have pulled it under their noses or their mouths?
As India unlocks, it’s important to know how to wear the mask right. Numerous health experts and doctors have pointed out that wearing a mask on the chin or under the nose is not only pointless, it also increases the wearer’s chance of contracting an infection.
The other statistic to remember is the most recent assessment of Covid-19 cases in the country by ICMR in which it said 28% patients – of the 40,184 who tested positive between January 22 and April 30 -- are asymptomatic. Hence, before they were tested, there was nothing to suggest to these patients or those around them that they had already been infected by the novel coronavirus.
Covid-19 has become a pandemic because it is highly contagious. Asymptomatic carriers increase that risk. This is why health experts across the world have argued in favour of everyone wearing a mask. Many countries have issued national advisories. India was an early mover in asking all citizens to wear masks.
Leading US-based healthcare expert Dr Atul Gawande says wearing masks is a “responsibility” people must take seriously to stop the spread of Covid-19. The basic logic of wearing a mask, according to Dr Gawande, is, “I protect you; you protect me.”
Covid-19 spreads primarily from person to person through respiratory droplets. Research has shown it’s not just coughing and sneezing but also the simple act of talking which lead to emission of droplets that may infect another person. Wearing a mask properly is effective both ways, by offering protection against droplets and by reducing emission.
“It is going to be more and more important to wear masks for your own and others’ protection,” Dr Randeep Guleria, director of AIIMS, told TOI. He added that while it wasn’t mandatory earlier for uninfected people and the general public to wear masks, the government has been asking everyone to do so.
“This is because, over time, there has been increasing research and data that shows covering of the face is essential to prevent droplet infection and break the chain of transmission. We are increasingly seeing that even asymptomatic people or pre-symptomatic people can be infectious. This means that you may not have any symptom and you may look healthy, but you may still be carrying the virus. In this case, if you wear a mask, chances of the virus going into the environment and spreading through you is reduced a lot. If another person you meet is also wearing a mask, that is further prevention and there is a double barrier for the virus,” said Dr Guleria.
If two people meet and neither is wearing a mask, he added, the risk of transmission of the virus is very high. If one of them is wearing a mask, the risk is medium and if both are wearing a mask, the risk is low. “So, people should keep their faces covered with a mask and also ask others to do so, for the benefit of the community,” Dr Guleria said.
Hence, it is important to wear a mask that fits well and covers the nose and mouth all the time. There should no gaps or holes in the mask. “People often wear the mask around their neck or chin and keep pulling it up and down. This is risky and if there’s virus on their hand, it will be transmitted to their nose and mouth. So, one should always avoid touching the front of the mask. We are not used to wearing masks, but this is the only way to prevent the disease and people need to develop a habit,” said Dr Amerta Ghosh of Fortis Centre for Diabetes, Obesity and Cholesterol, Delhi.
As wearing masks becomes essential, the market for its sales has also grown. Several retailers and e-commerce platforms are selling various kinds of masks, also leading to confusion among people about what kind of mask should be used. While N95 masks are being sold at high rates, they are not essential for all. “N95 masks need to be used only if you are coming in contact with a Covid patient. For the general public, a normal three-ply mask is sufficient. It is cheap and easily available everywhere now. However, it can be used only for six hours and cannot be reused,” said Dr Ghosh.
Homemade cotton masks or face cloths can also be used. “Everyone’s facial structure is different and one size may not fit all. It is very important that your mask fits around your face and there are no gaps. This is why a simple face cloth tied tightly around the face is a great option. It can be washed daily and reused. If the mask does not fit, the virus can still enter through the gaps when you breathe in or if you try to adjust it continuously,” said Dr Guleria.
Various state governments have made the use of masks in public mandatory, failing which a fine can also be imposed. Administrations are now speaking to RWAs to increase awareness and inculcate a sense of responsibility in people on wearing masks.
“It is a matter of self-regulation and people need to understand they have to wear masks for their own protection as well. However, we have also asked shops to not sell goods to those without masks, and many shopkeepers are doing this now. We also held a video-conference with all RWAs and asked them to ensure this within common areas of societies,” said Suhas LY, Noida’s district magistrate. Likewise, Haryana too has a provision to fine those not wearing a mask. “If anyone is not wearing a face mask, a penalty of Rs 500 can be imposed. If the fine is not paid, it will attract proceedings under Section 188 of the IPC,” said Dr Suraj Bhan Kamboj, director of Haryana health services.
RWAs have also pledged support to ensure people wear masks. Some markets and societies have started keeping masks at their gates and not allowing people inside without it. “It is difficult for everyone to get into the habit but constant reminders and penalties may help,” said Rajiva Singh of the RWA umbrella body in Noida, NOFAA. “We are keeping a close watch to ensure people wear masks all the time when they are outside,” said Chaitali Mandhotra, RWA member of Ardee City in Gurgaon.
AIIMS nurses warn of indefinite strike
AIIMS nurses warn of indefinite strike
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi:
The AIIMS Nurses Union, protesting for the past three days over poor working condition, on Wednesday warned the administration that they would go on an indefinite strike from June 15 if their concerns were not addressed.
More than 300 people working at the institute, including 47 nursing staff, have tested positive for Covid-19.
In a fresh mail to AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria, the union said no heed had been paid in task force meetings to their letters and regular representations. “At this difficult juncture...we are still left unheard by the AIIMS authorities. So we have been forced to resort to severe steps, including mass casual leave on June 10,” the mail read.
If the union has to go on an indefinite strike, the AIIMS administration will be responsible for all consequences, the mail added. Seeking a prompt meeting with the director, the union said, “We also do not want to go for strike during this difficult time.”
The union is demanding implementation of a uniform four-hour shift with personal protective equipment in Covid-19 areas of the Centre-run hospital, a uniform rotation policy between Covid and non-Covid areas, and establishment of proper donning and doffing areas.
Union president Harish Kajla earlier said working at a stretch for six hours, which often extended to seven-eight hours, in PPEs was affecting the physical well-being of the nursing staff, especially women. “Several of us are getting rashes and urinary tract infections while many have lost weight,” Kajla said. Women can’t even change sanitary pads as “a PPE cannot be taken off just like that”, he added.
Tit-for-tat: US to bar Chinese airlines
Tit-for-tat: US to bar Chinese airlines
Flights To Be Suspended From June 16
04.06.2020
The Trump administration said on Wednesday that it would block Chinese passenger airlines from flying into or out of the US starting June 16 in retaliation for a similar ban by the Chinese government on US companies, further escalating tensions between the two economies. Relations have deteriorated in recent weeks as officials scuffled over the origin of the pandemic and China’s move to tighten its authority over Hong Kong.
The aviation dispute threatens to further chill economic relations. Flights between the countries were already sharply curtailed by the pandemic and Chinese restrictions on foreign airlines that effectively halted trips by United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, the major US carriers that go there. China’s aviation regulators said on March 26 that they would limit foreign carriers to one flight per week based on schedules that were in place earlier that month. But those three airlines had already stopped service to the country by then because of the coronavirus. Chinese airlines continued to fly to US cities.
The Chinese restrictions became a problem only in recent weeks, as Delta and United sought to resume flights in June. Both carriers appealed to the Civil Aviation Authority of China but did not receive a reply. Delta said it still hoped to restart flights to China as soon as next week, pending approval, and that the airline appreciated the government’s intervention. United said it would fly to China “when the regulatory environment allows us to do so.”
In January, US and Chinese carriers operated about 325 weekly flights between the two nations. By mid-Feburary, only 20 remained, all of them run by Chinese airlines. The US transport department said it would block any scheduled passenger flight by a Chinese carrier from June 16. “Currently, four Chinese carriers operate scheduled passenger flights between US and China.” NYT NEWS SERVICE
The decision by the US transport department is a response to Beijing’s failure to let American airlines resume flights this week to China
No mention of ‘Covid’ on death certs raises questions
No mention of ‘Covid’ on death certs raises questions
Sumitra.DebRoy@timesgroup.com
Mumbai:04.06.2020
The term ‘Covid’ was missing from the death certificate of a 65-year-old Bhandup man who passed away on May 31 after three days of treatment in the Covid ward of Sion Hospital. Taking it to be a case of ‘natural’ death as was mentioned in the certificate, his son carried out the last rites following all rituals, only to be told the next day that his father was Covid-positive and that their house had to be placed under containment.
In another incident last week, a Vile Parle family faced a similar situation when Cooper Hospital doctors allegedly labelled the death of their 41-year-old Covid-positive relative as ‘natural’ and gave them the body. This man’s funeral was attended by almost 15 people, and the body was not even wrapped. As the death certificate didn’t even mention ‘Covid suspect,’ the family carried out the cremation on a wooden pyre instead of the electrical one.
Though BMC states that it is transparent about numbers and that cases are added to the overall tally after they are confirmed and scrutinised, such curious incidents of the terms ‘Covid’ or even ‘Covid suspect’ being missing from death certificates have led to BJP leader Kirit Somaiya alleging these were tactics employed to hide deaths. Civic officials admitted that if the deceased’s Covid report was awaited, the term ‘Covid suspect’ should be mentioned in the certificate.
The 65-year-old Bhandup resident, Atmaram More, died on May 31 after suffering from fever and cough for more than a week. His son, Krishna, who was taken to a quarantine centre in Kanjurmarg on Wednesday, said his father was refused by four hospitals before Sion Hospital admitted him on May 28. More also had hypertension as an underlying condition, which complicated things for him, the son said. More was admitted in ward 15, a Covid ward, where his swabs were taken during the course of treatment. The report, however, did not arrive till after he passed away at 9am on May 31.
“The death certificate said he had died of ‘Type-1 respiratory failure’ and even mentioned pneumonia. It didn’t say Covid anywhere and not even Covid suspect,” the son said.
The son pointed out, “We were taken by surprise when civic authorities arrived at our house on June 1 to seal it.
Full report on www.toi.in
Killing of pregnant elephant triggers nationwide outrage
Killing of pregnant elephant triggers nationwide outrage
NGO Announces ₹1L Cash Reward For Info Leading To Culprits’ Arrest
TNN & AGENCIES
Palakkad: 04.06.2020
The killing of a pregnant wild elephant has triggered a nationwide outrage even as Kerala chief minister promised strict action against the offenders. “The forest department is probing the case and the culprits won’t be spared,” chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday.
Mannarkkad forest division registered a case and initiated a probe into killing of the 15-yearold cow elephant. Two organizations announced cash reward to anyone providing information that would lead to the arrest of the offenders.
The elephant had chewed on an explosive-stuffed pineapple that went off in its mouth. The injured animal stood in Velliyar River, where it died on May 27 at Thiruvizhamkunnu forest section in Kottopadam grama panchayat. The forest department had employed two kumki elephants to rescue the injured animal. The efforts went in vain.
According to Mannarkkad divisional forest officer (DFO) Sunil Kumar, the elephant might have come from Silent Valley National Park’s buffer zone. It died on a private land 300m from Thiruvizhamkunnu forest section. “We have registered a case for killing the wild elephant but nobody has been arrested. We are waiting for the postmortem report to find out the exact cause of its death,” he said. The officer said the firecracker-filled fruit could have been placed to kill crop-raiding wild animals.
Wildlife warden of Silent Valley National Park Samuel V Pachuau said that patrolling has been intensified after the elephant’s death.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Maneka Gandhi slammed the state government—and Rahul Gandhi—for not taking cruelty against animals seriously. She came down heavily on the illtreatment of captive elephants. “Forest secretary should be removed and the minister (for wildlife protection), if he has any sense, should resign. Rahul Gandhi is from that area, why has he not taken action,” she asked. The elephant’s tragic end became public after a forest official, Mohan Krishnan, tendered an emotional apology on his Facebook page.
“Sorry sister,” Krishnan, who witnessed the elephant’s death, posted on Facebook. “With her mouth and tongue destroyed in the explosion, she paced around hungry without being able to eat. She must have been more worried about the health of the child inside her than about her own hunger.”
Several celebrities including Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma, Shraddha Kapoor, Randeep Hooda, John Abraham and Akshay Kumar demanded action against animal cruelty.
Announcing a reward of ₹1 lakh, Wildlife SOS, an NGO, said the practice of stuffing explosives in food materials has been often done to maim and kill wild animals. It added that it would ensure that the heinous act would not go unpunished. The NGO could be contacted over its elephant hotline 9971699727 or over email, info@wildlifesos.org.
(With inputs from Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi)
In East Godavari village,1man infects 150
In East Godavari village,1man infects 150
Umamaheswara.Rao@timesgroup.com
Kakinada:04.06.2020
About 20km from Kakinada, situated between green fields and coconut groves, lies Gollala Mamidada village. The otherwise nondescript hamlet in Pedapudi mandal in East Godavari district is now making headlines for having earned the dubious distinction of being the first village in the country to have 116 confirmed cases of Covid-19 as of Wednesday.
Gollala Mamidada is the mandal headquarter with a population of about 16,000. While most of the infected villagers are in home quarantine, a few have been isolated at a local private medical college.
On May 20, a 53-year-old Covid-19 infected person from the village succumbed to complications brought on by the virus at the Governmental General Hospital (GGH) in Kakinada within half-an-hour of admission.
The deceased, who was employed at a hotel and doubled up as a photographer, is believed to have been a super-spreader because of the nature of his job, as well as the delayed onset of symptoms. The patient directly or indirectly transmitted the virus to at least 150 people in Pedapudi and neighbouring Ramachandrapuram, Anaparti, Bikkavolu and Mandapeta mandals.
The deceased was believed to have contracted the virus while photographing an event in Ramachandrapuram. It was also learnt that the deceased participated in a mask distribution programme conducted by a local organisation.
However, district officials are yet to establish the origin of the disease in the super-spreader. The son of the deceased was also diagnosed with the disease around the same time as his father, raising doubts over who transmitted the virus to whom. According to officials, the son had thrown a party for his friends at a local bakery before testing positive. Medical tests are being conducted on all primary and secondary contacts of Covid-19 patients.
The 53-year-old man was employed at a hotel and doubled up as a photographer, is believed to have been a super-spreader because of the nature of his job, as well as the delayed onset of symptoms. The patient directly or indirectly transmitted the virus to at least 150 people
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