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The Truth About Coronavirus Vaccine in India: Is Coronavirus Vaccine safe?

by qalfit January 12, 2021

written by qalfit

India’s drugs regulator had recently approved Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin for restricted emergency use. The vaccination drive is all set to begin across the country to initially inoculate three crore healthcare and frontline workers. But health experts and critics raise several concerns and questions over the safety and efficacy of the coronavirus vaccine in India. So, is the coronavirus vaccine safe? Let’s uncover the truth behind the coronavirus vaccine in India.

What are the Approved Coronavirus Vaccines in India?

Currently (As of 06-01-2021), India has approved two vaccines- Covishield vaccine developed by Pune-based Serum Institute of India and the Covaxin vaccine that is developed by Oxford University and Astra Zeneca, and produced in India by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (IMCR). On 03-01-2021, the Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) Dr. VG Somani granted the emergency use authorization to Covishield and Covaxin based on the recommendation of the Subject Expert Committee (SEC).

According to the suggestions made by the National Expert Group on vaccine Administration for COVID-19, the central government will directly procure the vaccine supplies and distribute them throughout the nation.

Concerns Regarding the Coronavirus Vaccine in India:

One of the major concerns that various health experts have expressed regarding the coronavirus vaccine in India is the absence of Phase 3 trial data on Covaxin. The only phase two clinical trials have shown efficacy and phase three trials are still ongoing. The SEC granted accelerated approval and restricted emergency usage to these vaccines considering the existing pandemic situation, high mortality, and lack of definitive treatment. Although the health ministry had earlier stated that the COVID-19 vaccination will be voluntary, health experts and critics have cautioned that giving premature clearance to the vaccine could risk the lives and fuel vaccine hesitancy in India.

When can we Receive the Coronavirus Vaccine in India?

According to the Union Health Ministry, the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine in India will most likely be administered on January 13. This would be the Covishield vaccine which has been developed by the University of Oxford and produced locally by the Serum Institute of India.

How Long will the Vaccine be Effective?

The coronavirus was only just discovered at the end of 2019 and with the speed at which the vaccines were approved, there is no clear information on how long this vaccine will be effective. It is quite certain that the vaccines have long-lasting protection but the actual length of time is unknown. This is not just the case for Covishield and Covaxin vaccines but also for other vaccines including Moderna’s and Pfizer’s vaccines.

How Effective will this Vaccine be in the General Population?

Technically, no vaccine is perfect and it takes time to provide protection. Although you get strong protection against COVID-19 after receiving the vaccination, there is still a chance that you could get infected with the virus. Because even after you get these vaccines, it may take several weeks for your body to start building immunity against the virus. So, realistically speaking, you could get sick with the virus, just before or even just after getting the vaccination.

Should the People who had Already been Affected by COVID-19 be Vaccinated?

Health experts advise that those who have already had COVID-19 still get the vaccine. Because natural infection with coronavirus only gives you some degree of immunity, and it doesn’t give you full protection. The COVID-19 vaccines are specifically designed to neutralize the virus and its ability to infect. So, even if had been infected with the virus before, getting vaccinated gives you an extra layer of protection against the virus.

To conclude, although many of us are believing that vaccines are the end of COVID-19 and life will be back or normal after vaccination, this is not entirely the case. As mentioned, vaccines are not 100% fail-proof, so, we need a greater community effort to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic.

January 12, 2021 0 comment

Secondhand smoke with coronavirus background

Fitness

Coronavirus from secondhand smoke – How do you avoid this?

by qalfit September 21, 2020

written by qalfit

We all know that cigarette smoke contains hundreds of toxic chemicals and substances that can cause cancer. These are substances you wouldn’t want anywhere near your body. However, some people cannot resist their smoking habit and it is not only them that are affected by it. Non-smokers can also get serious health issues by inhaling second-hand smoke. So, what if a person standing next to you is infected with coronavirus and is exhaling cigarette smoke in your direction? Can you get coronavirus from secondhand cigarette smoke? Can smoking cause corona?

What we know about coronavirus so far

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) coronavirus is a new strain in a family of viruses that range from the common cold to much more serious diseases.
Symptoms of coronavirus infection range from respiratory problems to cases of pneumonia, the build-up of fluid in the lungs, and kidney failure.
Coronavirus is spread through close contact with infected people via oral and nasal secretions including saliva and respiratory droplets. These are released from the mouth or nose when someone coughs, speaks, or sneezes.
The virus can stay up to 4 hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and plastic, and up to 3 days on stainless steel.
Older people and those with illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure are highly susceptible to the coronavirus.

Can smoking cause corona? What do experts say?

Before examining the phenomenon of catching coronavirus from secondhand smoke, let us examine the habit of smoking itself. The act of taking off one’s mask to smoke puts others at risk. Although the government across the world has advised people to wear a face mask in public, there is one crucial difference between exhaling breath and exhaling smoke through the mask. You can easily breathe through a face mask, but you cannot smoke through it. Since the act of smoking or vaping requires the person to take off the mask, this is considered a high-risk environment for anyone in the area.

According to health experts, coronavirus is spread through oral and nasal secretions including saliva and respiratory droplets from the infected persons. When the infected person coughs, sneezes, talks, or sings, these droplets are exhaled into the atmosphere. In the case of smoking, smokers are not only potentially spreading without the mask, but are also blowing droplets to the people around them. This, as a result, puts others in the vicinity at risk to contract coronavirus from secondhand smoke.

Smokers themselves might be at a greater risk since smoking increases the risk of coronavirus infection. According to research by the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, smoking was associated with more than a doubling of odds of coronavirus progression in people who have already developed COVID-19.

So, it is plausible that you may be able to contract the coronavirus from secondhand smoke from an infected smoker.

How do you avoid getting coronavirus from secondhand smoke?

1. Masks should be your No.1 Priority

One absolute thing you need to keep in mind is that COVID-19 still exists and the possibility of getting coronavirus from cigarette smoke is very real. So always wear masks. Even if you are in a situation where you cannot avoid secondhand smoke, wearing a mask reduces your risk of infection. As a result, your risk from catching coronavirus from secondhand smoke is greatly minimized.

Two white masks laying over each other on a red background — Masks are still your number 1. line of defense against Covid19

2. The eight feet rule to prevent coronavirus from second hand smoke

Health experts recommend maintaining a six feet gap in public to avoid the spread of coronavirus. But one thing to note here is that smoke travels further than air droplets and you need more than the six feet rule to save yourself from infection. So, maintain at least 8 feet distance to avoid getting coronavirus from secondhand smoke. Ask smokers not to smoke in your home or your car and keep the windows open.

Maroon pawn chess piece set aside from a group of red pawns — Smoke travels further than air droplets and therefore you need more than the prescribed six feet gap

3. Avoid smoking areas to prevent coronavirus from secondhand smoke

Avoid areas such as restaurants or similar places where smoking is allowed. If your co-workers take a smoke break, try to avoid it too. Even if someone tries to smoke around you, politely mention that it’s not safe and that it makes you cough. Constant awareness of your surroundings and go a long way towards making sure you do not contract coronavirus from secondhand smoke.

A man with a hat smoking next to a woman — Avoid areas that have smoking sections or similar places where smoking is allowed

Not only does smoking increase the risk of coronavirus infection but also puts second-hand smokers at risk too. Breathing in second-hand smoke increases the risk of coronavirus infection and can cause serious smoking-related health problems. So, keep these tips in mind to avoid getting coronavirus from secondhand smoke and remember, if you’re able to smell cigarette smoke, you’re still standing too close to the smoker.

September 21, 2020 0 comment

Fitness

Doomscrolling – What is it and why You should stop it right now!

by qalfit August 10, 2020

written by qalfit

When is the last time you stopped scrolling on Instagram to watch cute pets or looked for new workout routines to try, instead of reading the coronavirus news or news that was about disasters or anything generally negative? If your answer is. “I don’t remember” or “Maybe 5 months back”, you are officially engaged in the behavior known as ‘doomscrolling’.

What is ‘doomscrolling’?

The Urban dictionary defines doomscrolling as “When you keep scrolling through all of your social media feeds, looking for the most recent upsetting news about the latest catastrophe. The amount of time spent doing this is directly proportional to how much worse you’re going to feel after you’re done.”

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic left us locked down in our homes, we follow the same ritual, thumb down, and thumb up on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and literally on all social media apps. We do this in a desperate attempt to find some clarity among all the things that are happening around us right now. But as we do this, we fall into an endless downward spiral of feeling bad. This is what is called ‘doomscrolling’ or ‘doomsurfing’.

Why do we ‘doomscroll’?

Theory #1: Humans love information

According to experts, humans love information. So, having access to endless information for 24 hours via our smartphone means we can binge on it in excessive amounts, which is undoubtedly bad. Especially now, because the daily news is almost invariably negative and depressing and yet, we cannot resist the urge to scroll through and read all about coronavirus.

Social media icons displayed on smartphone screen — Our phone is an abundant source of non-stop information

Theory #2: We have nothing much to do.

According to a report from Axios, during this coronavirus period, the screen time is up as much as 50% among children ages 6-12. It is bad, but understandable of course. Because bad news isn’t necessarily in short supply these days and with the whole stay at the home scenario, people tend end up engaging in doomscrolling.

Young dark haired girl staring at her laptop and doomscrolling — We are prone to spend more time on the screen during the era of lock-downs

Theory #3: We are hardwired to see the negative

Another reason why we doomscroll is that we, humans are all hardwired to see the negative and be drawn to the negative. We do this because of our long-learned trait of ‘If we knew all about the bad, we can find a way to avoid the bad’. It is a kind of a survival mechanism that is hardcoded in our DNA. It helps us sense danger and learn more about it to avoid it.

But in reality, even if we keep scrolling and scrolling, hoping that doomscrolling would be helpful, we will only end up feeling worse afterward. But fortunately, there are some things we can do to lessen our doomscrolling habit.

Frustrated ethnic man with glasses after doomscrolling — We are prone to looking at the negatives

How to stop doomscrolling?

Step 1: Admit you that are doomscrolling

The first step to stop doomscrolling is to admit that you are doing it at all. Checking tweets about coronavirus first thing in the morning? Doomscrolling. Keeping tabs on the count of coronavirus positive cases in your area all day? That’s right. You are doomscrolling.

Step 2: Analyze yours mind state after doomscrolling

Now try to analyze your state of mind after you have doomscrolled. Does it make you feel better or do you end up feeling more hopeless? If it’s the latter, you need to stop doomscrolling right now!

Step 3: Limit smart phone and social media use

Try to limit your smartphone usage and social media usage. Keep a fixed time limit and when time is up, put your phone down and don’t doomscroll again for the rest of the day.

Step 4: Focus on the positive

Now, train yourself to see more positive things around you. You can also approach this methodologically by looking for at least three positive things a day. This will make you feel better.

Step 5: Avoid all negativity

Now all you need to do is to stick to it. Focus only on the positive things and try to avoid all negativity around you.

Ultimately, stopping doomscrolling and not looking at your phone won’t stop the pandemic. But doomscrolling regularly isn’t going to do any good to your physical or mental health. So, try to stop your doomscrolling habit and focus on the positive things around you.

August 10, 2020 0 comment

Fitness

Covidiot – what are the features and characteristics?

by qalfit August 1, 2020

written by qalfit

When COVID-19 first became a global pandemic, people struggled to keep up with the new normal. It taught us a lot of new things over the past 6 months. Hand sanitizers and respirator masks became hot commodities, our home couch became our office space and we became masters of video conferencing. We also learned a lot of new terms along the way like social distancing and heebie-jeebies. However, the latest term that has come to the fore is the term ‘covidiot’.

What is ‘covidiot’?

According to the Macmillan dictionary, the term ‘covidiot’ is an insulting term for someone who ignores health advice about Covid-19 or hoards food unnecessarily.

Basically, the word ‘covidiot’ is a combination of the words, ‘COVID-19’ and ‘idiot’. a covidiot is someone who doesn’t take COVID-19 and the risks of the virus seriously, despite what the global health community says. A covidiot would also behave selfishly when it comes to slowing down and stopping the spread of coronavirus. The term covidiot sprang out of nowhere and became popular when some social media users posted photos of people who stubbornly ignored the social distancing protocols.

How can you identify a covidiot and who qualifies as one?

According to experts, you can easily identify a Covidiot if you closely look at how they behave. Here are a few behaviors that a covidiot would exhibit.

1. They tend to be in Denial:

People in denial often claim that the virus doesn’t exist or that it is just a media hoax. A covidiot may claim that the coronavirus is not as bad as the media projects it be. Such individuals cannot grasp the dangers of getting a coronavirus infection. This way they put others at risk too.

Fake news spelled in letter blocks — People in denial are often prone to believing that something is ‘fake news’

2. They think that the virus is less powerful than them:

A covidiot may tend to think that he or she is immune to the coronavirus or won’t get seriously ill with the virus. Such individuals have a mindset that the virus is less powerful than them. As a result, they continue to ignore safety measures. This behavior is dangerous because they may get infected, pass the virus along, and give it to someone who may even die from it.

Man in green and black camouflage uniform holding black rifle

3. They think that they are rebels:

Some people think that they are rebels and they just want to be nonconformists and rebel against societal norms. This makes them rebel against wearing masks and practicing social distancing. This rebelling mindset may be acceptable for other issues but certainly not now when we are in the middle of the pandemic. A covidiot is prone to possessing a rebellious nature.

Rebel blond woman with tattoos and white t shirt — Rebellious and non-conformist individuals may be in denial

4. A covidiot may always be anxious:

A certain segment of the population tends to be always anxious and participate in more extreme behavior. They will be so anxious and concerned about coronavirus. This may promote negative behaviours and eventually lead a covidiot into denial that the virus doesn’t exist.

A girl sitting on the couch and suffering from anxiety — Anxiety can cause one to be in denial

5. A covidiot is prone to being selfish:

A covidiot will be more concerned about his or her selfish gratifications than the good of the larger society. Such individuals may hoard foods, denying them from the needy people, and exhibit all kinds of selfish behaviour in times of crisis. They would also be impulsive at times, like throwing a huge party or going out if they have symptoms.

Blond woman staring into an oval mirror — Not caring about the greater good stems from selfishness

The coronavirus pandemic has added another new term to the dictionary. But this doesn’t mean that you have to be an example of it. So, try not to be a covidiot and look out for the greater good when it comes to saving the world from a deadly disease.

Read more: Ayurveda for coronavirus

August 1, 2020 0 comment

Lifestyle

4 fun & safe outdoor activities you can do in this lockdown

by qalfit July 16, 2020

written by qalfit

It has been more than 2 months since we isolated ourselves in our home over the potential danger of catching the coronavirus infection. Although it’s for our own safety, most of us are constantly pulled between the restless feeling of staying indoors and the fear of coronavirus infection outdoors. Now, with the ease of lockdown restrictions, we have a chance to go back outdoors and indulge in outdoor activities.

Is it ok to go out and indulge in outdoor activities now?

While activities like going to a restaurant or visiting a public place is still risky, there are so many fun & safe outdoor activities you can do in this lockdown that are acceptable to take part in whilst self-isolating. Medical experts claim that any outdoor activities are safe as long as you do it alone or with someone from your household in a place that isn’t crowded. You just need to make sure that your hands are clean, and disinfect shoes and clothes before you get inside your home.

So, if you’re running out of patience to explore and enjoy the outdoors, here are 5 fun & safe outdoor activities you can do in this lockdown.

1. Urban hiking

Nothing can give you the awesome feeling of being with nature like a good hiking trip. With the lockdown restrictions on effect, you can plan a one-day hiking trip to a safe place that is not dangerously overcrowded or you can go urban hiking. You can embrace the urban environment by adventuring through your neighbourhood, climbing stairwells, crossing intersections and wandering through the city’s obstacles of life. Make sure you follow social distancing and wash your hands if you come in contact with any object outdoors.

2. Outdoor picnic.

One reason why your chance of infection is lower outside is, it’s easier to maintain social distance outdoors and the virus has to navigate humidity, wind and heat to jump between people. This is why picnicking is a perfectly safe activity to do in this lockdown. Pack some food, go to a place that’s far away from the concrete jungle and enjoy nature. It is important to spread out and face the same direction (opposite to the wind) while picnicking.

3. Create a Nature collection

This is a great outdoor activity for everyone who would like to explore nature. Take your children with you and get out to a local green space and explore the trees and plans there. Pick some natural items like twigs and leaves that your children can touch and describe. This would be a great opportunity for them to appreciate nature and learn new words at the same time.

4. Bird watching

Birdwatching is one of the best things you could do in this lockdown. With less human interruption and less pollution for the past 2 months, there are more birds in the sky now. Even the birds that shy away from humans are suddenly showing up in the cities. This is probably one of the few gifts that this lockdown bestowed upon us. Some even say that we would never get another chance like this to watch the birds. All you need to do is to grab your binoculars and get out!

Maintaining social distancing is the most important thing you can do when you enjoy outdoors. We know that it’s frustrating to be at home all the time, but you have to keep in mind that it’s still not 100% safe out there. So, be extra mindful and try out these 5 fun & safe outdoor activities in this lockdown.

July 16, 2020 0 comment

Lifestyle

5 tips to do outdoor workouts safely right now

by qalfit July 14, 2020

written by qalfit

Let’s be honest. You’ve had your fun working out at home with your creative at-home workouts. But deep down you always missed the burst of fresh air, sunshine, and thrill of outdoor workouts. Now, as some cities begin to reopen parks and allow outdoor exercise, you might be all excited to workout outside. Here are a few tips to do outdoor workouts safely right now.

1. Maintain safe distance

Much like you’ve been advised to do outdoors, maintain at least 6 feet of space between you and the nearest person. Even if others don’t respect the social distance you’re trying to create, you need to be extra careful. If you find yourself in a workout spot with packed people, find a new spot, and remember that maintaining a safe distance is important all the time!

2. Disinfect your gear

Your workout gears might be carrying more germs than you think. So, even if you are not coming in contact with other people or touching anything outside, regularly disinfect your gears. Always carry a sanitizer and use it on your shoes, gloves, helmets, glasses, and bags. This safeguards you and your family safe when you return home after your outdoor workouts.

3. Create your own space

Health experts recommend working out at home because home is a safe place that you always keep clean. So, while working out outdoors, if you can create your own space and keep it clean, you are adding another layer of protection from catching any infection. You can bring a yoga mat and create your own workout space. This way you can maintain a better and cleaner space overall.

4. Keep your workout groups small

Working out with your friends or workout buddies is fine as long as the workout group is small and you keep social distancing in mind. Working out in large groups increases the risk of catching an infection, especially if you’re doing an activity where you’re getting sweaty or breathing heavily.

5. Wear a mask

Whether you’re working out at your home or outdoors, one of the biggest questions is whether you need to wear a face mask. We know that wearing a mask during a workout can be uncomfortable especially during intense exercise, but if you want to workout safely outdoors, wear a mask all the time!

Read more: The perfect playlist for workout

Everyone wants to go outside and exercise, but it is important that you do it safely. So, use these tips to do outdoor workouts safely and enjoy the outdoors during these trying times.

July 14, 2020 0 comment

Lifestyle

5 tips to make your grocery shopping safer

by qalfit July 10, 2020

written by qalfit

We are all being advised to stay at home to help flatten the curve. However, there are some trips to the outside world that we cannot avoid, like grocery shopping. Going to the grocery store is both essential and inevitable. Especially now, with relaxed restrictions, more and more people visit the grocery store. This means you have to be extra careful now more than ever. Here are a few tips to make your grocery shopping safer.

1. Plan ahead with a Shopping list

The less time you spend outside, the lesser your chance of catching the infection is. Try to minimize your time at the grocery shopping store as much as possible by avoiding aimless wandering through the aisles. In such cases, planning ahead with a shopping list can help you shorten the lengths of your shopping trips. Not to mention, a shopping list can also save you from unnecessary buying of products.

2. Disinfect your shopping cart

According to a study done by reusethisbag website, the carts and bags at the grocery shopping store have 361 times more bacteria than a bathroom knob. So, before touching the shopping cart, disinfect the handlebar and child seat with a sanitizer. Also, remember to keep a safe distance of 2 grocery carts between you and others.

3. BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag)

Health experts claim that coronavirus can live on plastic surfaces for up to 3 days. This means those single-use plastic bags they give you at the grocery store can infect you with coronavirus. This is why you need to consider bringing your own bag to the grocery store. So, try to bring reusable bags made of cloth to the grocery store and remember to immediately wash these bags every time you get back from the store.

4. Shop the outside of the store last

Ever wondered why the fresh produce is laid out front and staples like milk, eggs, and bread are in the back in your grocery shopping store? It’s a marketing strategy designed to make you stay longer, roam the whole store, and buy more. In the middle of a pandemic, this is exactly what you want to avoid. So, shop in the centre of the store first and grab your perishables last.

5. Buy in bulk

Buying in bulk doesn’t mean loading your shopping cart with 1 month’s supply of things. This only causes unnecessary demands and shortages. So, try to buy one or two weeks of groceries at a time. This will help you reduce the number of trips you’re making to the grocery store. Also, when buying fruits and vegetables in bulk, be aware that they will go to waste if you don’t store them in a refrigerator.

Grocery shopping is necessary. But in times like these, rushing through the aisles with a loaded cart and dodging other shoppers can be pretty uncomfortable. So, try to keep these tips in mind and make your grocery shopping safer.

July 10, 2020 0 comment

Lifestyle

How to adapt well to your new work from home lifestyle?

by qalfit June 10, 2020

written by qalfit

The new work from home lifestyle that most of us got during these high times can be quite a change from our normal ‘working in an office’ routine. While shifting from a robotic schedule to the freedom and flexibility of working from home may be a welcoming change for many, we cannot ignore the distractions in the form of your lovable pets preferring your lap for a nap, sudden food cravings, messy pile of clothes in your room and the most serious distraction of them all- ‘The toddler mayhem’, if you’re a parent!

It is easy to find yourself scattered and unproductive while working from home. But rather than submitting yourself to these distractions, you can adapt well to your new work from home lifestyle by following these expert tips.

Suiting up is not necessary:

Suiting up to start your office work for the day in your home may put yourself in the right mood, but it may also make you uncomfortable while you work from home and affects your productivity. Because, in your office, you may be entitled to your cabin in a chair and a neat formal costume would do the part. But at home, you have the freedom to sit and lean wherever you can work. So, there is no reason to do it unless you want to. Wear what’s comfortable for you.

Use different spaces:

Sitting with your head at the pillow all day while you work from home will not only make you unproductive but also takes away the whole fun! You can mark different locations in your home for different office works. For instance, make your sofa as your working space, dining table as your meeting space, work on your proposals at the coffee table and so on. You don’t need a big house to achieve this, even marking your space at four corners of a room will do the trick.

Consider Time blocking:

Time blocking is a process to make your day productive. You can divide your day into specific time frames, each denoting a single specific task. To do this, you need to split your big tasks like completing a presentation into smaller tasks, then decide how much time you want to spend on this block of the task and when do you want to start the task. So, when the time comes for a particular task, switch off all your distractions and work on it.

Take it easy:

There will be times where you’ll be overwhelmed by your office works and personal works at home. You don’t need to give up that easily when it comes to this situation. Just take a deep breath and try to find the source of this- what made you feel overwhelming. In most cases, it will just be simple things like a messy room or minor deadlines. If it’s something you find distracting in your home, try to solve it and if it’s about office work, identify and work on what’s important and reschedule the other works for another time.

It’s actually okay!

This is the most important part you need to remember when you’re working from home. If you think you’re not handling the whole work from home situation well and others are having it perfectly sorted, that’s a hoax your mind made up! It’s actually ok to be deviating a little off from perfect when you’re working from home. Just focus on your productivity and quality of work and everything else will come together.

Not everyone can handle the new work from home lifestyle perfectly well, but the important thing is that you are putting in the effort and time to be productive while taking care of your physical and mental health. So, try to follow these expert tips to adapt well to your new work from home lifestyle and make the most of it!

Thinking about how you can start working out at home? Read this article to get started.

June 10, 2020 0 comment

Lifestyle

Opening up Gyms and Salons in Karnataka lockdown 4.0

by qalfit May 21, 2020

written by qalfit

It has been more than 50 days since the prime minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown. Almost all the businesses and shops remain closed in the unprecedented lockdown in Karnataka and across the country. However, Karnataka’s youth, tourism, and sports minister CT Ravi, recently stated that gyms, salons, and golf clubs are likely to open after May 17.

Minister CT Ravi’s statement:

Karnataka hosts busy and densely populated cities like Bengaluru, Mysore, Hubli and Mangalore. It has already registered more than 1000 coronavirus positive cases with the number of positive cases increasing each day. In this situation, Minister CT Ravi’s statement of opening salons, gyms, and golf clubs amidst Karnataka lockdown after May 17 has sparked a controversy.

According to minister CT Ravi, gyms will have restrictions like batches, fever testing, and sanitizers. In the case of Golf, since it is played with physical distance, the government is considering allowing it. He also stated that restaurants will be allowed to operate at 30% dining capacity. Previously, restaurants were only allowed to operate for parcel services. However, the question on everyone’s mind is whether this is necessary in this alarming situation.

Why were gyms and salons shut in the first place?

The restriction on gyms and salons is because of the fact that these places allow physical contact and this could lead to a faster spread of coronavirus. Although there is no proof that coronavirus spreads through sweat, Gyms and salons have a lot of high-contact surfaces. For instance, barbells, weights, and literally any fitness instrument you use in the gym is a shared entity. Now imagine a situation where equipment used by one infected person is used by hundreds of gym members all day. This would cause the virus to spread at an alarming amount. The same is the case for salons. You would come in contact with the same salon chair, scissors, and other tools in the salon which increases your chances of infection. Moreover, most of the salons and gyms today are air-conditioned which would even increase the risk of catching coronavirus infection.

What is the problem with opening up gyms and salons now?

The number of coronavirus cases in India is increasing rapidly and has already surpassed China’s infection count. Karnataka’s infection rate is comparatively low when compared to other states due to the enforced lockdown in Karnataka. However, opening up gyms and salons in this critical situation would lead to a massive outbreak. If history teaches us one thing about pandemics, they have a tendency of coming back after seemingly going away. It’s when the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 seemed to have gone away and people had started rejoicing in the streets and restarted their normal activities, a more deadly second wave of Spanish flu hit the world and killed more people than it did in the first wave.

In Karnataka’s most crowded cosmopolitan city, Bengaluru, reopening gyms and salons would only pave way for more infections. Also, Karnataka’s neighbouring state, Tamil Nadu, is among the topmost affected states in India, and guess which city is near Tamil Nadu Border? Yes, its Bengaluru. Reopening gyms and salons, especially in Bengaluru, means increased human contact that would potentially lead to more infections.

At this point, people have already started to enjoy not just working out, but styling their hair at home also. Reopening gyms and salons in Karnataka would only lead to one outcome- More infections! Currently, there are no official press releases or statements about the final decision about reopening gyms and salons from the Health Ministry of India. However, people feel that there is no need for the government to reopen the gyms and salons in Karnataka at this point.

May 21, 2020 0 comment