DHARWAD: While Covid-19 has wreaked havoc across the world, one of the measures taken to contain it - wearing of masks - has had positive effects on public health in Dharwad. Respiratory allergies, lung infections, asthma, and illnesses such as eczema (skin condition) and are common among Hubballi and Dharwad residents due to dust kicked up by vehicles.A resident with chronic throat infection said he wondered why his condition improved recently.
“At least twice a month I consulted a doctor for dust allergy. I was advised to wear a mask, but never gave it serious thought until Covid. That brought the big change in my health,” he said.He said a majority of roads in the two cities are either pothole-ridden or dusty, and authorities have simply not addressed the problem. “The Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation bought sweeping machines, but nobody knows if they work. Two-wheeler riders and pedestrians have been bearing the brunt of this inefficiency over the last 10 years,” he said.
Physician Dr Jagadish Naik said in the past, he saw many patients with dust-related infections, but after the Covid-19 outbreak, that number has come down. “It is because the amount of dust being inhaled has come down. We suggest people continue to wear masks,” he said.