Covid-19 Spreads by Aerosols, Time To Wear Masks Inside Homes Too: Govt
The rising number of coronavirus cases in India has led the Centre to advise people to start wearing masks even at homes, as the new Covid-19 strain is said to be more transmissible. The note of caution by the government has come among major concerns that the coronavirus remains suspended in the air in the form of aerosols.
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VK Paul, Member, Health (Niti Aayog), in a recent press briefing by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on the Covid-19 situation reportedly stated, “If there is Covid-19 patient in the family, he or she would wear a mask even indoors so that the virus does not spread to others in the home. In fact, the time has come where we all should be wearing a mask at home even otherwise”.
Authorities have also emphasized on immediate isolation of any person who has coronavirus symptoms. Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS, Delhi has advised people to not wait for the reports to come and go under isolation immediately. Moreover, there is even the possibility of RT-PCR tests to be negative as it is not 100% sensitive. He added that it would be better to presume that the patient is infected with Covid-19, in case there are symptoms.
Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry also shed light on the risk factors associated with non-wearing a mask. Referring to studies, he stated that there is a 90% risk of coronavirus infection if two individuals are not wearing a mask and not maintaining adequate social distancing. The risk gets reduced to 30% if the unaffected individual is wearing a mask.
According to research, if no physical distancing measures are followed, a person can infect 406 people within 30 days. On the contrary, if physical exposure is reduced by 50% then one person can infect around 15 people during the period. Moreover, if physical exposure is reduced by 75%, then one person can infect around 2.5 people in 30 days.
At present, the number of active Covid-19 cases in India has crossed the 28-lakh mark as per the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.
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Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.
