Govt should go slow on resuming public transport: Public Health Expert

The government should go slow on resuming public transport in the wake of increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu, a public health expert suggests, as he believes the lockdown has "crippled" coronavirus and slowed down its spread. Former Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Dr K Kolandasamy also advocated disinfecting train compartments or buses after every use in order to prevent further spread of coronavirus, whenever the services are resumed.

Dr Kolandasamy had been in the forefront of Tamil Nadu's fight against the lethal pandemic since February this year when the state government envisaged a threat from the contagion. He was part of the state team in overcoming several health challenges, including dengue and chinkungunya, and had retired recently.

Public transport service should not spew up more Coronavirus cases, he said and claimed that the nationwide lockdown has helped to "cripple" the virus, which otherwise would have spread at "lightning speed." "When we see the visuals on the TV, the U.S, Spain and Germany are (seen) battling against a worsened crisis. But in India, particularly Tamil Nadu, the situation is far better," he said.

This was possible since the state government had stepped up surveillance and launched precautionary measures sufficiently ahead. "Also, the lockdown which encouraged community herding, has crippled COVID-19, which otherwise would have spread at lightning speed and affected more number of people," he said. On the steep spike in COVID-19 cases to over 8,000 in Tamil Nadu, he said this should not cause any alarm because without the lockdown which encouraged community herding,people to maintain personal hygiene and inculcated the habit of disinfecting places, the state or the country would have ended up like any other western nation in managing the pandemic.

Further, there are likely to be more cases if more people are screened, he added. Nearly seven per cent of those who have been affected by the virus were in the 60 year age group, while those with co-morbid conditions emerged as second vulnerable group. Exercising precaution, wearing mask, hands hygiene and maintaining social distancing were important in the fight against the pandemic, he said.