Coronavirus spreads faster than usual with cracker smoke

According to experts, preventive measures are the need of the hour with Diwali around the corner. They opine that coronavirus could possibly use pollution as a medium to attack the lungs.

Hyderabad:Health experts express their concern that unless suitable preventive measures are taken during the coming Diwali season, there is the grave danger of Coronavirus using pollution as medium and attacking the lungs and respiratory system. If the virus enters the system along with the smoke from the crackers, the danger will be much more. For this reason, in several states, including Delhi, the sale of crackers has been banned. Experts advise that chronic patients and those who have breathing problems should keep away from the smoke of crackers.

Favourable for Extensive Spread

Normally, due to the pollution from crackers, health problems arise. We all know that every year after Diwali pollution rises multifold. Experts caution that it would also affect those who have fallen prey to Covid and recovered. Cold weather and pollution also affect those who do not have any Corona symptoms. In Telangana, up to 1st of this month, 2,50,331 people have fallen prey to Covid. Currently, 19,890 are undergoing treatment. Of these 17,135 are in Isolation Wards. Experts caution that all such people are prone to face acute problems due to the smoke from crackers.

Studies in America, Britain and Italy

In Italy, during the first spate of Corona more people died. Experts who studied this have concluded that in North Italy where pollution is higher than in the areas in middle and South Italy, the number of deaths is more. Due to constant exposure to pollution, the immune system in the nose to control pollutants gets affected. With this pollution goes directly into the blood vessels and there will be swelling there. If Covid adds to this, the danger increases further and leads to death.

Even in America, large scale study was done on this. In New York City, most of the people died. Here the population density is very high. Scientists who analyzed the Corona related deaths say that if very minute dangerous dust particles (Suspended Particulate Matter – SPM-2.5) go up even by one microgram per nano cubic metre, the death rate would increase by 8 per cent. Similarly, in places where air quality standards fell to the lowest, Covid deaths are more. Also in the study undertaken by British researchers, it was made clear that the intensity of Covid is increasing due to pollution.

Last Year’s Intensity

In our country, several studies were made on the intensity of pollution before Diwali and later. It was identified that after the bursting of crackers, minute dust particles, very minute particles are increasing 30-40 more times. Even before the occasion of Diwali, the number of Covid cases in Delhi are on the rise. Experts say that severe pollution is the prime reason for it.

Last year, in Hyderabad, after Diwali, the government has revealed the intensity of pollution. In 2019, dangerous micro dust particles (PM) registered on an average as 85 micrograms in the air in a cubic meter. It is notable that on the day of Diwali they have doubled. Very Minute Dangerous Dust Particles (NPM) also registered three times more during Diwali days than on ordinary days.

According to the standards indicated by the Central Pollution Control Council, if the AQI (Air Quality Index) is between 0 – 50, it is considered as ‘pure air’. If it is between 51-100, it would be considered as ‘satisfactory’ and if it is between 101-200 as ‘average’ and if it is between 201-300, it would be ‘unsatisfactory’ and if it is 301-400, it would be treated as ‘not at all satisfactory’. Finally, if it is between 401-500, it would mean that it is showing ‘acute effect’ on the health.

It was registered as 361 in Sanatnagar during Diwali times, in Bollaram it was 300 and in the area of Central University, it was 170. Now, in the context of Covid spreading, there is anxiety that, the quality of air gets reduced due to bursting of crackers, and very minute dust particles increase and become a threat to public health.