Jubilee Post News & Views
Prof. Ravi Kant Upadhyay
A spike in COVID-19 cases has been seen in last four weeks due to influx of migrant workers in U.P. and Bihar. Both have more than 37 lakhs of workers which have been shifted from industrial states to their home state in last 28 days.
It is hard fact that few of the states could not handle the situation, and slight relief in curfew, gave chance to wide spread of the virus in slums because unrestricted public movement on roads in Maharashtra, that has make spill over cases on 14th of April onwards and made situation more alarming.
Uttar Pradesh allowed 837 trains to ferry migrant laborers back to their native places. The number of Covid-19 positive cases in Uttar Pradesh is inching toward the 6,300-mark.
There are three categories of migrants those who reached on foot they have joined their families without quarantine, laborers reached by trucks, private vehicles and own vehicles they also have joined their families without any testing. Among them so many were died on route or showed symptoms and hospitalized but there number was less.
The third category of laborers were from hot spot buffer zones, most of them were tested positive and have alarmingly increased the tally of active cases in Bihar and U.P. This third category incoming migrant worker is responsible for corona virus spike in recent days.
Till the date more than 20 lakh migrant workers have been deported from Maharashtra and Gujrat by ferrying 1565 Shramik special trains. From these incoming migrant workers, over 2,650 were test positive in U.P. In Bihar, more than 3,500 people have been infected from Covid-19 while 15 people have lost their lives
Lockdown within lockdown proved costly
It is hard fact cases were in thousands when complete lockdown was imposed in country, now number of active have been reached beyond 2 lakh and in spite of fact government has announced unlock-1.
First mistake was method followed for lockdown in beginning, and imposition of lockdown within lockdown has proved costly. When people found relief in curfew they rushed in large number for purchasing and received corona virus infection from subzi vendors, suppliers, chowkidars, gatemans and kirana store owners.
More specially in Tamil Nadu government announced one day from April 26, relief for people for purchasing essential commodities, but people naturally thronged markets, rush was usurped social distancing norms going for a toss in many places.
Over crowded markets resulted in cross infection in a very easy way. In Mumbai people were seen breaking social distancing in markets, subzi mandies and even in children in very narrow ways were playing cricket.
Rapid increase in COVID-19 cases is due to use of common public amenities and hospital beds, buses, trains and market places. Today condition is that we do not have high quality protection against this virus.
Carelessness in discharging the corona positive cases without seeking their reports, or shifting of patients in general wards, and providing dead bodies to family members without antibody testing is very serious issue.
This is the main reason that corona virus has largely targeted such human habitation with high infectivity and high mortality. This was also happened in aero planes, ac coaches of trains, buses and hiring taxies.
More severe man to man transmission has been observed in close door air circulation systems. This is the main reason that corona virus infection becomes more common acute illnesses among humans due to close proximity of humans, human to patient.
Nosocomial infection is seen in hospital staff due to lack of PPE kits, protection wares and safe living places to on duty staff. This is a reality that due to over warden health care workers and doctors, and nurses are over exhausted and facing fear and trauma. Even after knowing the reality our country does not have high quality health care system and shortage of medicines government has open the lockdown at the cost life of people.
Super blooming is possible in rainy season
In India transmission of corona virus occurred due to direct contact and aerosol transmission. In rainy season chances of number of patient will increase alarmingly because of close contact due to unlocking of lock down. In normal case transmission of viruses via airborne routes in rainy season depends on type of rainfall slow droplets provide stability of virus in air while torrent rains settle the particle on the earth and mix with running water.
It is the rain that quickly settles to the ground or remains airborne. Virus transmission is affected by ambient humidity, which affects not only the virus’ stability but also respiratory droplet size, as water content evaporates. There is a close association between rain and flu virus infection.
The cases of corona virus can extremely increase with the sneezing droplets remains suspended and live for long enough time which are inhaled into the respiratory tract unknowingly by normal or a susceptible host. Now we have hardly 20 days to control corona virus before start of rainy season, in normal case cases of flu virus infection increase with increase in temperature, humidity and rainfall. Climatic factors such as humidity and precipitation will increase seasonal infection rates.
How to tackle the problem?
Fool proof safety kits and appliances also assist in nosocomial transmission among non-infected hospital staff and care takers. It is more advisable that by controlling infectivity alone, is not much enough to control flu virus and fatalities caused by it. Therefore, all possible therapeutic methods such as prophylactic, plasma and antibody therapy, anti-viral drugs, molecular and genetic medicines, plant natural products, homeopathic, Ayurvedic, Unani, Shiddha, alternative and complementary medicines and conventional methods should apply for instant control of virus generated morbidity and mortality.
Fast acting physico-chemical devices which could disinfect thousands of people in a day are to be explored for decreasing the infection rate and increasing the sustainability of infected patients.
There are two important ways to cut down virus transmission by genetic locking or switching off virus spike protein genes in genome, it will stop climate induced genetic variabilities mainly mutations, infectivity and mortality.
Second by using advance technology virus invasion on human population can be effectively controlled, by applying social distancing, clinical care and proper monitoring of Covid positive patients.
To conclude
No concrete therapeutic method and medicine has been prepared so far against corona virus. This is much advisable that government should declare all conventional methods for treatment of mass number of patients.
All different Ayurvedic preparations in Ayush ministry should be known to public and these should be essentially provide to all age groups near hot spots and buffer zones to boost up their immunity to stop deaths instantly.
also read: India approves re-establishment of Pharmacopoeia Commission
also read: COVID 19 Community transmission: Facts and challenges
This is time when it is hard to diagnose large number of population because cases are increasing alarmingly. The main problem may be created by asymptomatic individuals if they visit crowded public places, they will become super spreader.
Although it is theoretically possible to create vaccines against any new influenza virus but it will need time, economic resources and need a speedy production capacity. But it’s easy availability and efficacy is still doubtful. An unknown fear is how long we will remain safe under umbrella of a vaccine and its immunization.
An appropriate timely vaccine and conventional therapeutic methods significantly cut down both fatalities and infectivity. Further, to strengthen fight against corona virus emergency worldwide funds, medical aids, services, information sharing, institutional researches and technological advancements and new federal rules are needed. Those who are coming from other states should be registered and put inside quarantine centers with strict rules.
(writer is senior professor in the department of Zoology, DDU Gorakhpur)
