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Docs blame rise in Covid on irresponsible travelling
If a district does not have even a single Covid case for weeks, any new case being reported can be linked to someone irresponsibly travelling back home, say health officials.
LUCKNOW: Only four of the 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh have zero active Covid cases at present. However, on May 14, as many as 14 districts were without a single Covid case. Experts blame the rise on irresponsible travelling.
In Lucknow, in the past 10 days (between June 10 and 17), 47 Covid positive patients, including 4 on Friday, had reported travel history. These patients had returned home after outstation travel and tested positive.
“If a district does not have even a single Covid case for weeks, any new case being reported can be linked to someone irresponsibly travelling back home. It may be a visit to relatives, hill stations, theme parks or any crowded place. And of course, people simply out Covid protocol on the back burner,” said a senior health official.
“When you travel in a train or flight without mask, you expose yourself to infection that can reach your nose or mouth with droplets. This is why often you find people returning home from long travel falling ill and some of them test positive for Covid,” said Dr PK Gupta, former president, IMA, Lucknow.
Wearing of mask and social distancing has to be practised when in public place. According to the last order in this regard issued by the chief secretary in April, mask is mandatory keeping in view the rising number of cases particularly in Lucknow, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Baghpat, NCR region.
“Covid-19 cases are not just rising in cities like Lucknow, Gautam Buddh Nagar but also in cities where there were no cases till a few days ago. This means irresponsible travelling,” said Dr Abhishek Shukla, secretary-general, Association of International Doctors.
Etah, Kanpur Dehat, Kasganj, Kaushambi, Mahoba, Mau and Rampur are the only districts that have zero active Covid cases. Five districts have just one case while 8 districts have 2 cases each and three districts have three cases each, according to the data from the state health department on Friday morning. These districts got their active cases in the past few days only.
Doctors said one should travel only if necessary. While travelling, one should try to avoid contact with people and not touch objects unnecessarily.
“If you have a ticket, go to your seat. Do not sit and talk to people. Read a book or listen to music. But read your own book and use your own earphone/headphone,” said Dr Gupta. “One option can be to isolate yourself whenever returning from outstation to make sure if you are infected you don’t spread it to your loved ones,” said Dr Shukla.
