The Director-General of Health Services, Ministry of Health, in a letter to all states and Union Territories have warned against the “use of N95 masks”, especially the use of valved respirator, as these masks do not prevent the spread of the virus and is detrimental to the measures adopted.
Dr Nikhil Modi, Pulmonologist Specialist, Apollo Hospital, said, “People who wear N95 masks are safe but due to virus when he/she exhales out then the open valve can infect another person because the air which comes out isn’t safe. If a person who is wearing a mask is positive then his virus particles are in the air and due to this another person can get infected and thus it becomes difficult to control the virus.”
“We have been already telling people to avoid masks with valves, three-ply surgical masks or N-95 without valves should be used,” Dr. Nikhil stressed.
“If you are at high risk or a healthcare worker, then you can use N-95 mask but if you are using it for pollution then mask with valve can be used and at home, N-95 mask can be used with social distancing,” said former IMA president Dr K.K. Aggarwal.
COVAXIN trials at AIIMS
According to the latest report, five volunteers have been vaccinated as a part of the first phase of human clinical trials of COVAXIN at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. The phase 1 trial in AIIMS will involve 50-100 healthy people after doing all the screening tests.
AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said, “Initially 5-10 volunteers will receive the vaccine and their report will be reviewed by the institute’s Ethics Committee for safety, after which others will be vaccinated.”
As per guidelines and safety measures, 50 types of tests have been conducted as part of screening to ensure that the subject is healthy with no comorbid medical complications.
Corona warriors under crisis
In the time of Covid-19 pandemic, doctors and other healthcare workers in MCD hospitals, Delhi, are not getting their salaries from the last four months. Most doctors working in Kasturba Gandhi and Bara Hindu Rao hospital are forced to leave their jobs.
According to the sources, cleanliness in hospitals is very poor and unhygienic, basic facilities like food are also not given properly to the patients, and washrooms are filthy. The hospitals are contaminated and most of the patients avoid getting their treatment in these hospitals. Bara Hindu Rao hospital is treating Covid-19 patients but less than 20 percent of hospital beds are occupied.
Recently, few Covid-19 patients had left the hospital without completing their quarantine period. The doctors who are under quarantine after the exposure to Covid-19 positive patients are also facing delays in their salaries.
