How to handle vegetables that come straight from the market? Does one need to wear a mask while walking in the park? How to disinfect a house?

Such many and various questions came up at the webinar organised by BE Block Nagarik Sangha on Saturday. Facing the questions was Sibabrata Banerjee, internal medicine and critical care physician of Fortis Hospital.

Banerjee started off stressing on the essential practices — wearing masks, social distancing and frequent washing of hands. “This is an unknown virus. It has already mutated 11 times across countries and climates,” he said.

Explaining how its presentation was varying across geographical regions, he said doctors initially were screening for fever as that was the dominant symptom in the West. “But later we realised that most people here, who were later being found to be Covid-19 positive, were coming initially with diarrhoea.”

The initial exposure was putting medical practitioners at risk. “There have been situations when a patient has entered my chamber without a mask when I was sitting wearing only an N95 mask (not complete personal protective equipment). I could not scold them,” he said, adding a grim statistic — already 264 doctors have succumbed to Covid across the country. “I am treating Covid patients so I may get infected any day. If I have stayed safe so far, it is only by following the basic safety guidelines.”

But while stressing on social distancing, he pointed to the need for social bonding. He shared how panic was making people behave irrationally and insensitively. “An acquaintance, who tested positive, contacted me for a hospital bed which I arranged for. But once she realised that I was treating Covid patients, after getting cured, she called my wife to ask why I was coming home from the hospital!”

Though one hardly ever knows when one gets infected, symptoms, he said, usually start appearing from the third or fourth day. “As for those who are being treated at home with mild or no symptoms, a person usually remains capable of infecting others for 10 more days starting from that day. The first Covid-19 detection test should be done on the fourth or fifth day. “

The later half of the discussion was interactive, with residents seeking answers to questions related to the pandemic. (see box) The doctor suggested keeping the government helpline 180031344422 and the local police station contact number at hand. “If you need government help, the police arranges for an ambulance.”

His parting advice was not to keep patients aged over 65 years with comorbidities at home unless a doctor specifically allows home treatment with a nurse in attendance.

Tips to follow to stay safe

How to handle vegetables and other things that come straight from the market?

Vegetables, fish or meat do not transmit the virus. So cleaning them normally should be adequate. Printed materials like newspapers are also not known to be transmitters. Currency notes could be a risk and should be handled with care.

Is it safe to order home-delivered food?

Cooked food does not contain the virus but the container in which it is delivered might. So instead of putting the container in the microwave to heat, it is better to put on disposable gloves, take out the food immediately, keep it in utensils and dispose of the container as soon as it arrives along with the gloves.

What should be the hygiene protocol to follow for caregivers coming from outside?

He or she should have a separate toilet where he or she should go directly on entering the house. The person should wash his hands and change out of the outside dress and into a set of washed clothes left for him in the toilet. Before leaving, the person should wash the dress and leave it to dry. Since mornings are often cloudy, it is better to keep two sets of clothes in the toilet for the person to use in case the first set does not dry adequately the day after.

How to disinfect the inside of the house?

Two chemical solutions are being used — sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen peroxide. You can buy a can used to spray insecticides from a nursery and use it. But spraying hypochlorite will ruin your furniture and wall paint. The buttons of our hospital lifts have lost the digits due to regular spraying. Hydrogen peroxide is slightly better that way. But can you sanitise everything every time? The best remedy is washing hands with soap and water.