New Delhi: The latest study conducted by The Lancet, a global health journal, has found that physical distancing, face masks, and eye protection works well in the prevention of person to person transmission of Covid-19.
During the study, The Lancet has identified 172 observational studies across 16 countries and six continents, with no randomised controlled trials and 44 relevant comparative studies in health care and non-healthcare settings.
The findings assume much significance for a country like India which has entered into the unlock phase 1 of Covid19 from Monday.
"In unlock 1 situation, we have to follow Covid-19 appropriate behaviour to live with the virus by taking adequate precautions," said Lav Agarwal, joint secretary in the Health Ministry.
Echoing the same view, Dr Giridhar Gyani, director general of Association of Health Care Providers told ETV Bharat that social distancing is the most appropriate medicine at present to fight against the pandemic.
"Country's across the globe are working to find a vaccine for Covid19. In such a situation finding of The Lancet assumes much significance," said Dr Gyani.
The Lancet findings said that transmission of viruses was lower with the physical distancing of 1 m or more, compared with a distance of less than 1 m.
"Protection was increased as the distance was lengthened. Face mask use could result in a large reduction in risk of infection, with stronger associations with N95 or similar respirators compared with disposable surgical masks or similar, " The Lancet findings said.
The global health journal further said that for the currently foreseeable future, "Covid19 prevention will continue to rely on non-pharmaceutical interventions, including pandemic mitigation in community settings."
In a related development, Russia's approval of antiviral drug Avifavir to treat Covid19 brought good news for India as it's based on influenza medication already in advanced clinical trials here, scientists at the ICMR said.
Meanwhile, as on Tuesday India's total COVID positive cases reached to 198706 with 97,581 cases still active. As many as 8171 cases were reported in the last 24 hours with 4259 active cases during the same period.
Significantly, 3,708 patients have been cured in the last 24 hours taking the total recovery rate to 48.07 per cent. A total of 95527 people have been recovered so far.
