PATNA: With the holy month of Shrawan beginning from July 14, health experts in city have cautioned people while undertaking ‘kanwar yatra’ in groups and gathering at crowded temples to offer prayers as Covid-19 cases are still on the rise. As the total tally of active cases in the state has crossed 1000 mark again, they have urged people to take their vaccine doses and follow the Covid-appropriate behaviour at public places.
Former superintendent of PMCH and dean of medicine faculty at Aryabhatta Knowledge University, Dr Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, said, "There is need to take extra caution as hundreds of people throng local temples or undertake ‘kanwar yatra’ in groups to offer prayers to Lord Shiva at temples in Shrawan. Those, planning for such pilgrimage, should be sure of having their scheduled vaccine shots as the primary shield against the virus.”
Dr Rajiv, however, clarified that any vaccine for viral ailments does not guarantee total safety against infection; rather it ensures considerable check of the severity. He advised people to immediately get tested if they have any symptom of Covid-19 and report to the government if it turned positive.
Managing director of Ruban hospital, Dr Satyajit Singh, said though severity and hospitalisation of positive patients are very low, mostly due to massive vaccination drive undertaken by the government, people still should not be in misconception that the Covid-19 has gone forever. “Nobody knows when its new variants appear and that’s why mask must be used at all public places or social gatherings,” he said.
Head of trauma and emergency, All India Institute of Medical Sciences-Patna (AIIMS-P), Dr Anil Kumar said knowingly or unknowingly skipping the vaccine shots is a blunder and invitation to Covid-19 infection. "Since a larger section of the state population is already vaccinated, we feel morally high and properly protected against the severity seen during the earlier three waves. Even as the positivity rate is on increase, the severity is less and most of the patients are able to recover at their homes,” said Dr Anil, adding pilgrimage in crowds in Shrawan, should be avoided to check return of fresh surge.
Dr Manjula Rani, deputy superintendent of Gardanibagh government hospital, also warned against collective pilgrimage or thronging at other spiritual places in Sawan for offering prayers. She said all patients reaching the OPDs are asked to turn up with masks as this basic precaution would keep them protected against a host of viral infections.
