Experts differ, urge people to take precautions
By: Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government decision of partial unlock in the wake of significant dip in death and positivity rate in the UT Monday evoked a mixed response from the medicos with some terming the move as a right step with others stating that the government should have continued with the curfew for a week or two further.
Flu expert and Doctors Association President Dr Nissar ul- Hassan told KNO that the decision of unlock at this stage was “premature as positivity rate and death is still high.”
“It is matter of life and government shouldn’t have come under public pressure to unlock and should have taken decision on basis of data,” he said. “There should have been an unlock when there would have been 10 percent decrease in cases and deaths on daily basis for one week followed by 5 percent decline in another week.”
He said that there should have been unlock when tests being done should have more and positivity rate should have been less than five percent or there should have been four positive cases in one lakh population.
Dr Nisar said genome sequencing isn’t being done at large scale so nobody knows how many variants are presently in the UT. “Authorities are totally unaware about the real situation,” he asserted. “People are being asked every time to follow Covid appropriate behavior but there is still some laxity. Virus can bounce back and whatever we had gained in a lockdown of over a month, can go waste.” He said just few percent population have got fully immunized and most population is still susceptible to Covid-19.
Dr Muhammed Sultan Khuroo, renowned Gastroenterologist and Chairman Covid Advisory Committee told KNO that this is the right time to unlock as government has to think both disease and difficulties people are facing.
“It is guarded and supervised opening as it is partial opening as government is watching situation keenly and lockdown cannot be indefinite,” he told KNO, adding that government must ensure vaccination is done on all fronts and make sure that people follow Covid appropriate behavior.
He said that opening is a dynamic process as government is watching situation keenly and checking trend whether cases are decreasing or increasing and that accordingly decision is being taken.
Dr Khuroo said that government hasn’t given financial assistance to poor people and a partial opening was need of the hour for poor people so that they can earn their livelihood.
He advised public to follow Covid appropriate behaviour in letter and spirit, otherwise “we will back in trouble, so people must follow all precautions.”
“It is a collective responsibility of everybody and somebody should not take Covid appropriate behaviour lightly and action of one person can affect whole society, he said, adding that people should go out only when it is necessary and follow SOPs in letter and spirit,” he said, adding that
“Government should avoid in believing in fake things and get vaccinated whenever, they get time. Doctors who don’t know anything about virus shouldn’t talk about it.”
Dr Saleem Khan Nodal officer for Covid-19 at GMC Srinagar and HoD Community Medicine, he said that lockdown isn’t a permanent solution as it has repercussions as well but people must take care of what “we have gained in during lockdown shouldn’t be spoiled.”
He said that there is an ease in restrictions not an ease in adhering to Covid appropriate behaviour and if people won’t follow precautions cases and deaths can increase further. Dr Khan said that everyone to play a positive role and collectively we have to fight it by adhering to Covid guidelines.
