Newspapers won’t give you Omicron, crowds will: Experts

While newspaper and other vendors have not been restricted from entering housing societies by the state government or civic body yet a few housing societies in the city have imposed restrictions on their own such as stopping vendors from entering building premises in view of rising COVID cases Health and legal experts as well civic officials have expressed concern over these restrictions which has led to unnecessary panic Recently state Health Minister Rajesh Tope had to hold a press conference to allay rumours of another lockdownRecently state Health Minister Rajesh Tope had to hold a press conference to allay rumours of another lockdown Health experts said the need of the hour is COVIDappropriate behaviour rather than promoting unscientific restrictions which only adds to the discomfort and leads to panicNo scientific backingDr Wiqar Shaikh professor of medicine Grant Medical College and Sir J J Group of Hospitals said that there is no scientific evidence till date that delivery people transmit COVID19 more than any other person in civil society He quoted a report by the International News Media Association which said that there is no instance of newspapers transmitting COVID19 from anywhere in the world as newspapers are extremely porous and therefore cannot transmit viruses One can however demand that the delivery personnel wear a mask and sanitise hand before entering buildingsThe likelihood of becoming infected with the novel Coronavirus from mail newspapers or packages is negligible say experts Representation picldquoThe likelihood of becoming infected with COVID19 from mail newspapers or packages is quite low Out of abundant caution during the pandemic when handling or reading your postal mail newspaper or packages it would be best to avoid touching your face intermittently Recent research evaluated the survival of the virus on different surfaces and reported that the virus can remain alive for up to 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel up to four hours on copper and up to 24 hours on cardboard due to its porosity Use of surface disinfectants such as soap 00537 sodium hypochloritebleach or products based on gt7037 ethanol will disintegrate the virus instantly With this I wish to dismiss rumours that newspapers can be the source of transmission Moreover if delivery boys are using properfitting masks and hand sanitisation the possibility of spread can be further eliminatedrdquo said Dr Subhash Hira professor of Global Health at University of WashingtonSeattle and an invited member to WHOGeneva COVID19 several review panels lsquoCOVIDappropriate behaviourrsquoDr Jacob John renowned virologist told midday ldquoThere should be strict instructions on the quality of masks for protection against Omicronmdashand such masks should be fairly snug fitting multilayered or with mechanisms to filter viruses out electrostatic properties should retain viruses on the outside surface Masks shouldrsquove quality assurance by competent agenciesrdquoldquoScientific speculation is unnecessarily creating a panic situation Utmost stress should be laid on strict avoidance of social functions and parties as most of these gatherings have proved to be super spreader events Meticulous use of the mask accompanied by COVIDappropriate behaviour at work and at home is the mainstay of preventionrdquo said Dr Ketan Vagholkar Professor of Surgery at DY Patil Medical CollegeLegal viewAdvocate Vinod Sampat founder president of Cooperative Societies Resident and Users Welfare Association said ldquoCooperative societies no doubt have the right to frame rules and regulations specifically when there is a pandemic However one should not forget that the government itself has gone very mild on Omicron and has not put strict restrictions In my view the approach of some cooperative societies not to allow newspapers and vendors is incorrect and violates the fundamental rights of an individualrdquoBed availabilitySuresh Kakani additional commissioner health BMC said ldquoNeither we BMC nor the state government issued any direction or advisory objecting entry of any vendors including newspapers to housing societies and we are not intending to impose any such restrictions in coming days People need not panic and continue with their normal liferdquoWhen asked about the bed occupancy at jumbo centres and dedicated COVID care hospitals Kakani said ldquoThough cases have increased it is a milder version Only 5 to 6 per cent of the affected people require hospitalisation and very few patients need oxygen support Over 80 per cent beds are lying vacant at jumbo centres across Mumbai We must understand that while the present variant has faster transability the overall fatality rate is much less We have also requested private hospitals which were marked as COVID hospitals in May 2021 to provide for same number of beds for COVID cases so that public at large need not have to come all the way to the Jumbo centresrdquoAnd on public advisory Kakani said ldquoWe would appeal to the public at large not to get panicked and not to believe in any unsolicited social media or mobile messages We have activated our dedicated helpline numbers in each BMC ward office with a doctor to guide and arrange for any medical assistance in case of any emergency or for any clearance of COVIDrelated doubtsrdquoCOVID helplines Toll free no 1075 BMC Helpline 1916 Maharashtra Covid Helpline 022 22027990 Behavioural Health Psychosocial Toll Free Helpline 08046110007