I would like to share a message on the COVID-19 situation in India (Scroll). I wrote this for my work colleagues and I thought I should share it with my friends' circles. Someone in one such circle recommended that I publish this and share the link so that people will heed my (why should you care)* advice.
We are all struggling with lockdown fatigue (APA) but the fight is far from over. The mutant strains will continue to develop and spread because of the sheer nature of the mechanics of viral replication (BBC)!
The only sensible way to halt the spread is by ensuring all COVID-appropriate measures (MOHFW) (and giving the virus less chance to mutate). This means avoiding unnecessary socialization, mask-wearing, washing hands, physical/social distancing, etc. But that's not the end of this story. All of this has to be done ~100% of the time by ~100% of the population to prevent the virus.
India is in its second gargantuan COVID wave, the vaccination numbers are looking despairingly inadequate. Just when things seemed to have become as bad as they could be, multiple sources of evidence indicate that SARS-CoV-2 is an airborne pathogen (Lancet). This makes things even worse.
These are unprecedented times. Any hope for a semblance of a post-pandemic "normalcy" is being quashed every day. There is an incredible information overload, with a high prevalence of inaccurate/incorrect information being spread.
Here are the main evidence-based takeaways I would like everyone to know:
- All the above COVID-appropriate behaviors (mask-wearing, physical/social distancing, avoiding physical/social meetings/gatherings, washing hands) do work (The Hindu)!
- Surface spread is far less risky (CDC) compared to aerosol/airborne spread. Surface sanitization is not nearly as important as the above measures. Hand washing and avoiding touching faces will eliminate the unlikely likelihood of anyone contracting the disease because of surface spread.
- Constant ventilation (open windows, ceiling fans, elevator fans, exhaust fans) and air purifiers decrease the risk (El Pais) in orders of magnitude. Air-conditioned, closed shared spaces are risky (Nature)! Try to avoid these (e.g., office spaces, banks, and supermarkets)
- The risk of post-vaccination side-effects is much lower than the risk of COVID-19 itself (NY Times). Whichever way you look at it, vaccination gives you the best overall chance to survive.
Finally, one simple message. Science works; conspiracy theories don't (New Scientist)!
Please don't buy into or spread conspiracy theories about COVID-19. I have received bizarre forwards about microchips in vaccines (Reuters) and worms in masks (FullFact.org, Misbar.com), all of which are absolutely untrue (Neurologica Blog). They just leech into the human tendency of fearing the unknown and putting ourselves under stress. They also dent the ability of the health infrastructure to fight the pandemic (JAMA, ScienceDirect).
If you get such forwards, fact-check them and let others know about the truth. Educate the people who forwarded the messages and request them to stop sharing these. I urge all of us to take the responsibility to spread the right information to our near and dear ones (PLOS).
*I'm a trained orthopedic surgeon and I have been in the field of medicine and related research for 25 years.
