Carelessness to follow Covid norms can cost dearly: Doctors

Hyderabad: Attributing the sudden spike in Covid cases to the carelessness of people in adhering to Covid norms in the State, the Health experts warned that things might get really worse if people ignore to follow the norms like using masks and maintaining physical distancing to contain the spread of virus.

Doctors from Osmania and other major government hospitals said that people were throwing the Covid norms to air and were seen without masks at crowded places like bus bays, railway stations, shopping malls and other public places.

According to the Health department bulletin, the State on Wednesday reported 1,520 fresh cases with 979 cases alone reported from the Greater Hyderabad limits, a 90 per cent increase in two days ago and nearly six times the figure from a week ago. Considering December 13, as the beginning of this surge in infections, the State's daily Covid tally has jumped over 10 times in just 23 days.

Speaking to The Hans India, Dr Nagender, Superintendent of Osmania General Hospital said, "People are not following social distancing and not wearing face masks at crowded places like bus stops, railway stations and other public places. This is leading to increase in Covid infections."

About 1 lakh passengers daily travel from Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station to various States and vice-versa. However, many passengers are seen sans masks and not following Covid-appropriate behaviour, Dr Nagender further said, demanding the administration of railways and RTC to make sure that passengers followed the Covid norms strictly.

"At least 20 lakh people travel in buses in the city. However, the sanitisation inside the buses is not carried out on regular bases and most of the times, these buses are crowded with passengers. The RTC officials should strictly enforce the Covid norms in view of rising number of infections," he said.

Similarly, about 120 express trains and over a dozen passenger trains have been made available for public at Hyderabad's railway stations and people visit the city from 779 destinations, with this about 2.5 lakh passengers daily travel from Secunderabad, Nampally and Kachiguda railway stations every day. It has been observed that no Covid norms were being followed.

"No matter how many rules are enforced by the authorities, in the end, it is the people who have to abide by the norms to protect themselves and their family members," said Dr Nagender.

Another health expert Dr Mohan Kumar, who has been a former member of the Indian Medical Association said, "As part of preventive measures, the authorities must ensure that every passenger wears the face mask and maintains social distance and also thermal screening of the body should be conducted." He suggesting people to travel only if it was necessary and put off the trips if they can as negligence could lead to getting infected with the virus.