Sweeping floors at public places hazardous now, says AIIMS Doctor

Dr. Anurag Srivastav of All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) opined that sweeping floors at public places using broom should be avoided as it could lead to more infections of Covid-19 and tuberculosis.

New Delhi: Sweeping the floor in public places may increase the chances of spreading viruses that cause severe long disorders like Covid-19 and tuberculosis, said Dr. Anurag Srivastav of the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). According to him, floating dust particles in the air may increase the chances of more people contracting the viruses.

Interacting with media persons here, Dr. Anurag said that germs which cause diseases like Covid-19 and tuberculosis, are able to survive on the floor or other surfaces for several days. They are scattered into the air during cleaning activities like sweeping. Inhaling the polluted air could result in infection, he added.

"It should be avoided. Broom should not be used for cleaning the ground," the doctor, who also heads the surgery department of the prestigious medical facility in the national capital, said.

He said instead of brooms, vacuum cleaners should be used as it would suck in dust particles and germs that may have settled on them.

In order to curb the spread of diseases, people should be made aware of it, he said, adding that companies should be encouraged to make more and more vacuum cleaners under the flagship programme 'Make in India' of the central government.