HYDERABAD: As Covid-19 cases continue to rise, people are getting increasingly worried about the spread of the virus at home. Several officials in the State have also directed people to start wearing masks at home. Express got in touch with experts, who provided us an insight into the issue..
Dr Chandrakanth Tapsi, MD (General Medicine) and DM (Neurology) of Sai Krishna Neuro Hospital, Kachiguda, stated, “We cannot say that the infection is in our house without an infected patient. If there is an infected patient, there is a chance of the virus spreading around. If the house is crowded with people and there is no sufficient space in the house then the people living in it are more prone to get infected.
One should remember that a proper ventilated house is safer for people to quarantine themselves in. In a house if there is a source of infection and poor ventilation, there are definite chances for the spread of the virus. If one person is infected, and if they cough or sneeze, it will infect the surroundings. Virus will not fly in the air and stay on objects, without an infected person. If the person does not have any symptoms and is asymptomatic, there are chances of others in the house to get infected.”
Dr Ranga Reddy Burri, president of Infection Control Academy of India, stated, “We know about the two types of transmissions which is spreading of infection through droplets and the other is airborne. Droplets which come out your mouth when you laugh, cough, sneeze and do other things get transmitted to the person who is beside you. The most important thing one has to understand is to stay in a ventilated place rather than in a closed environment.
Unfortunately our Indian houses are built in such a way that there is no proper ventilation and the risk of getting infected increases. When we talk about airborne transmission, many people misunderstand the theory. Droplets that come out of your mouth through cough or sneeze stay in the air and that is why it is termed as airborne which does not mean it is in the air, but the small droplets are hanging in the air which is why one need to stay in a ventilated room and there should be cross-ventilation. Wearing a mask if there is any infected person in the house is more helpful. And if anyone is infected in a family, it is better to stay away.”
Cause of virus spread at home by Dr Ranga Reddy:
Lack of ventilation
Sharing of limited space in a family
Active infections can be more dangerous