Simple practices guideline to reduce the spread of Covid-19. Govt issued a guideline

Adequate ventilation can play a key role in stopping the transmission of the Covid-19 virus, the Union government’s principal scientific adviser K VijayRaghavan’s office said as it issued guidelines to fight the pandemic.

VijayRaghavan recently tweeted that whether vaccinated or not, one must not forget the three principles of crushing the pandemic masks, physical distancing and ventilation. The detailed guideline further explains his advice.

“Just as smells can be diluted by ventilation, the dangerous concentration of the virus can be reduced by ensuring that outdoor air flows in,” the guideline said. The office of principal scientific adviser also stated a crucial point that larger size of saliva and nasal discharge in the form of droplets fall to the ground and on surfaces, and smaller aerosol particles are carried in the air up to 10 metres.

Here is some method of coronavirus prevention:

• The guidelines further stated that the placement of the fan is also crucial as the fan should not be at a place where it can cause contaminated air to flow directly to someone else.

• If the windows and doors of a room are shut, the exhaust fans should keep running. “Add an exhaust fan OR turn a pedestal fan into an exhaust fan by turning it to face outdoors, to create the ideal airflow for maximum protection from indoor infection,” the guideline said.

• Further talking about workplaces, the rules suggest keeping windows and doors wide open with the air-conditioners running so that clean air can enter and dilute virus particles. For maximum air circulation, the addition of an exhaust fan has also been suggested.

• The document warned that saliva and nasal discharged in the form of droplets and aerosols by an infected person is the primary mode of virus transmissions. The infected person without symptoms also transmit the virus. “In closed un-ventilated indoor spaces, droplets and aerosols become quickly concentrated and greatly increase the risk of transmission to people in the area,” the Centre said.

• VijayRaghavan also emphasised on the need to wear a double layer mask or an N95 mask, which offers maximum protection. “Ideally surgical mask should be used only once, but when pairing, you can use it up to 5 times by leaving it in a dry place for 7 days after one use (ideally give it some sun exposure),” it said.