On Sunday, A.P. Government Doctors’ Association and members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) of Chittoor district chapter said that it is very essential for a strict facemask norm and awareness among general population to combat COVID-19.

The chapter president, P. Ravi Raju, condemned that due to relaxations during the lockdown period, people are not following the precautions seriously. He also warned that one should continue wearing a mask for at least one year to protect oneself and others from the virus.

He further said that a face mask can prevent the spread of the virus by almost 90%. A majority of the COVID-19 cases at the isolation centres are found to be asymptomatic in the district. Unknowingly, these infected persons can pass the virus to others, hence endangering the lives of many people.

At Narayanavanam, during a meeting with the ASHA workers and paramedical staff at the Primary Health Center, Dr. Ravi Raju instructed them to educate people and create awareness about the facemask norm as a precautionary measure. He said the COVID-19 task force should include medical staff of the Social Preventive Medicine (SPM) department of the several medical colleges in the State for containment measures.

Dr. Ravi Raju also distributed masks to those people who were seen travelling on Puttur-Chennai National Highway without masks, at Narayanavanam junction on Sunday. Members of IMA distributed masks to almost 1,000 people at several junctions on the highway in Satyavedu Assembly constituency, which has registered approximately 50 coronavirus cases with Koyambedu links in the past 2 weeks. It was seen that many people from the rural areas of the neighboring mandals of Pichatur, Nagalapuram, Nagari, Nindra and Satyavedu were not wearing face masks while travelling in share auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers.

The doctor said that men use handkerchiefs or towels as masks, whereas women use their saree edges to cover their faces which is a risky practice and offers less protection from infections.

Source: The Hindu