CMAAO CORONA FACTS and MYTH BUSTER 110: Wear face mask at home, patients with diarrhea ? super spreader

CMAAO CORONA FACTS and MYTH BUSTER 110: Wear face mask at home, patients with diarrhea ? super spreader

Dr K K Aggarwal

President CMAAO

With inputs from Dr Monica Vasudev

934: Wear Face Masks at Home if you deal with public AND are people with diarrhea super spreaders

I have been saying about this and now a study has proven the same. During lock down wear mask when you go to buy essentials but after lockdown wear mask when you go for work involving meeting with [public or colleagues.

Now a new study conducted in China says wearing face masks at home greatly reduces a person’s risk of catching the coronavirus -- a major escalation from the most common advice on the cloth coverings, which is that they should be worn in public when social distancing can’t be practiced.

Researchers interviewed 335 people from 124 families in Beijing between late February and late March about their households during the pandemic. Each family had one confirmed case of coronavirus. The average family had four people, and most families had three generations.

Most person-to-person transmission occurred within households. Wearing face masks in the same house was 79% effective at curbing transmission, but only before symptoms emerge. Wearing masks really wasn’t protective after the symptoms started.

The daily use of chlorine or ethanol-based disinfectant was 77% effective at curbing transmission in the household.

This study confirms the highest risk of household transmission being prior to symptom onset, but that precautionary [non-pharmaceutical interventions], such as mask use, disinfection and social distancing in households can prevent COVID-19 transmission during the pandemic

BMJ Global health, the medical journal published the study. If the first person to become infected had diarrhea, the risk of passing the virus quadrupled.

Having close daily contact with the first person infected, such as eating meals or watching television together, had an 18-fold increased risk.

Overall, the study supports “universal face mask use, not just in public spaces, but also at home.

Inter-Ministerial Committee to examine a Central legislation against assault on Doctors

Issue also being raised in the Lok Sabha by 10 MPs

Dr KK Aggarwal

Earlier this month, on 5^th July, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare constituted an inter-ministerial committee to examine the pros and cons of bringing out a Central Legislation against assault on doctors on duty and clinical establishments.

The committee comprises of the following:

1.	Joint secretary (MS division), MoHFW	Chairperson
2.	Dr Anil Mankatala, DDG (P), Dte.GHS	Member
3.	Representative, Ministry of Home Affairs	Member
4.	Representative, Department of Legal Affairs	Member
5.	Representative, MCI, MoHFW	Member
6.	Medical Superintendent, AIIMS, New Delhi	Member
7.	Medical Superintendent, Dr RML Hospital	Member
8.	President/Secretary, Indian Medical Association	Member
9.	Principal Secretary (Health) in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu	Member
10.	Representative, FORDA	Member

Mr DD Maheshwari, Deputy Secretary to the Government of India called for the first meeting of the inter-ministerial committee to be held at Nirman Bhawan on 10^th July, vide a notice No. Z.28013/22/2019-MS.

The Lok Sabha also admitted Unstarred Question No. 3253 for 12.07.2019 regarding "Assaults on Doctors" raised by 10 MPs: Shri Prasun Banerjee; Shri Khagen Murmu; Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab; Shri Vinod Kumar Sonkar; Shri Syed Imtiaz Jaleel; Shri Rahul Ramesh Shewale; Dr. Sukanta Majumdar; Shri BB Patil; Shri Asaduddin Owaisi; Shri Raja Amareshwara Naik.

Will the Minister of Health and Family Welfare be pleased to state:

a)            whether assaults on doctors and hospital staff have been reported in various Government hospitals across the country including recent incidents in West Bengal;

b)            if so, the details of such cases reported during the last three years, hospital and State/UT-wise;

c)             whether  Indian Medical Association (TMA) has directed all its States the members to stage protests against such attack on doctors across the country which led to the shutdown of OPD, Emergency services which resulted into death of patients, if so, the details thereof;

d)            whether the Government has implemented the recommendations of the Inter-Ministerial Committee constituted in the  Ministry to review various issues including issue of assault on doctors, if so, the derails thereof;

e)            whether there is urgent need for a specific legislation to protect doctors/health professionals; and

f)             if so, the preventive steps taken/ being taken by the Government in this regard

Dr KK Aggarwal

Padma Shri Awardee

President Elect Confederation of Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania   (CMAAO)

Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications

President Heart Care Foundation of India

Past National President IMA