Community safety pivotal to tackle COVID-19 in Odisha: Dr Reddy

Bhubaneswar: COVID-19 pandemic could be controlled in Odisha if emphasis will be laid on community protection instead of focusing on development of community immunity, said Dr Srinath Reddy, President of Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI).

Delivering a talk on “Learning from COVID-19 – What we have learnt and how we can win” through video conference at Gurugram Collectorate in Haryana on Thursday, Dr Reddy, who is also Advisor to Odisha Government, suggested the State to lay emphasis on symptoms based research to fight the deadly virus.

During video conference attended by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and 13 other ministers in Odisha, Dr Reddy highlighted the origin of coronavirus, the situation in world due to COVID-19 and future strategies in battle against the virus.

As no vaccine and particular drug has been developed so far to treat novel coronavirus infections, the doctor stressed on social distancing, which is the only weapon through which the war against COVID-19 can be fought effectively.

“Public cooperation and community’s active participation is the only shield that can protect us from the deadly infection,” Dr Reddy said during the lecture.

He also suggested the State Government to look after the elderly persons as they are more vulnerable to the disease.

He said that novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that is believed to have originated in bats is the seventh edition of corona family that has infected millions around the world. Not only the virus affects respiratory system, but also affects other parts of human body. In some cases, it causes thrombosis within a blood vessel preventing blood from flowing normally through the circulatory system that leads to death. The virus infects people of all ages irrespective of clinical signs and symptoms.

The infections can be transmitted through droplets of different sizes. People can avoid the infections and keep the virus at bay by wearing mask, with frequent hand wash and maintaining social distancing upto 1 metre from others, he added.

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