The lockdown and the consequent drive to step up sanitary measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the city and across the region has produced unintended results that have brought some relief to the medical community.
It has scotched the outbreak of gastroenteritis, which usually coincides with the onset of summer and adds to the patient load in hospitals. “We have seen a significant decline in gastroenteritis, which is caused by contaminated water and food,” said D.H. Nagaraj, health officer, Mysuru City Corporation (MCC).
The lockdown has been in place since March 15, and eateries, restaurants, hotels and bakeries have been shut, as a result of which the possibility of many people being afflicted by food or water contamination has reduced to a minimum, he said.
District Health Officer R. Venkatesh concurred that gastroenteritis cases were far and few between because of the limited outdoor activities. Besides, Panchayat Development Officers have been instructed to frequently check the water points for any leakage and repair them, besides monitoring them for quality, he added. In the event of dysentery, people have been recommended the take a home-made oral rehydration solution made by mixing a small portion of salt and sugar with one litre of boiled water, said Dr. Venkatesh.
“Almost 90% of the clinics are closed as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, and if there was any outbreak of gastroenteritis, the hospitals which are functioning would have reported it,” Dr. Nagaraj said. The daily reports compiled from various hospitals, including the government-run K.R. Hospital, do not indicate any outbreak of gastroenteritis despite there being a few scattered cases, he added.
Personal improvements
Another doctor said people have also acquired the habit of frequently washing their hand and using sanitizers, because of the coronavirus fear, and this has helped improve personal hygiene.
The MCC, on its part, is disinfecting public spaces such as bus stands, markets and main roads, while also taking up fogging. There is a dedicated squad of pourakarmikas entrusted with the task of spraying disinfectants, and all 65 wards under MCC limits are being covered. In addition to this, all the quarantine homes are regularly fogged and disinfected.
