ARE WE VULNERABLE TO CORONAVIRUS THIS HOLI?
A lot of items, including colours, pichkari (water guns), magic balloons, masks and colour capsules come from China. What we need to understand is whether these items, will bring along with them, the novel COVID-19.
A fake viral post on social media claimed that Chinese goods imported for Holi festival in India should be avoided because they are infected with the novel coronavirus. There were multiple grammatical and syntax errors in that viral image. The name of the WHO was written in the small letters and there were many other spelling errors in the Hindi text of the advisory. Moreover, the name of the Chinese city Hubei was also written as ‘Hunei’.
Acting swiftly, the WHO confirmed this to people through Agence France-Presse (AFP), a Paris based international news agency, that the virus does not last long on inanimate surfaces, so it is unlikely imported goods would remain infectious.
Speaking on the occasion, WHO’s Representative for India – Surpiya Bezbaruah said, “Research as far as we know seems to indicate that the virus does not survive for very long on objects. For toys, the risk is only if the toy is contaminated with the virus and for the toy to be contaminated there are special conditions. So, it is very unlikely that a toy will be contaminated with the virus simply because it was manufactured in China.”
The WHO has also issued a similar advisory on their website which says it is safe to receive goods from China.
A graphic on the WHO Website read, “People receiving packages from China are not at risk of contracting the new coronavirus. From the previous analysis, we know coronaviruses do not survive long on objects, such as letters or packages.”
The Toy Association of India, which oversees imports of toys from China, has also ruled out the chances of getting coronavirus through Chinese toys. It said that it takes an average of t2-3 weeks for shipments from China to reach India via sea, and it is therefore highly unlikely for an object to remain infectious on arrival.
The Vice President of the Toy Association of India – Vipin Nijhawan stated, “Factories in China were shut for New Year from the first week of January. The last shipment from China came to India on January 15.”
However, we still need to be cautious! Coronavirus can be spread through:
• The air where infected person is coughing or sneezing
• Personal contact with the infected person such as handshake, hug, etc.
• Touching our mouth, eyes or nose with unwashed hands
In the interests of the global audience, the WHO has issued protection measures that can help in prevention from Coronavirus.
• Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly with hand rub or with soap and water. Washing your hands kills viruses that may be on your hands. So, this Holi, while you’re playing with colours, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly before eating anything or touching yourself or others
• Maintain at least 1 metre from people who are coughing or sneezing. When someone coughs or sneezes, they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease. So, refrain from applying colours to people who are coughing or sneezing. Also, don’t force them to play Holi!
• Avoid touching unclean surfaces. We touch upon many surfaces while playing Holi. Hence, we run the risk of getting infected if we have touched any surface which has the virus
• Ensure that you and people around you practice good respiratory hygiene. During Holi, a lot of times, some colours end up entering our nose or mouth accidently. This leads to coughing and sneezing. While doing so, we must ensure that we or the person coughing or covers his / her mouth with tissue or handkerchief.
• Stay home if you’re unwell. Don’t go out and start playing Holi if you have fever, cough and difficulty in breathing. Most importantly, seek medical advice to rule out possibilities of Coronavirus
• Stay updated on the latest developments on COVID-19. Follow advice given by WHO, National and Local Public Health Authority
Wishing all our readers a very happy, safe and a colourful Holi!
