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Udaipurites join hands with the administration to fight COVID-19

As the lockdown has affected hundreds of labourers from the unorganised sector, it is becoming difficult for them to arrange for adequate food even for a day. To help these needy people, Udaipurites are joining hands with the administration in fighting the COVID-19 crises by donating ration and food to the people in need.

Many social organisations along with economically secure residents of the area have decided to distribute food items to the needy.

While the battle against coronavirus is underway in full swing, hunger has come to haunt many due to the economic crises that has followed. Organisations and individuals are supporting the administration by serving food and also providing financial aid.

13 teams of UIT and Udaipur Municipal Corporation are engaged in distribution work in the urban areas. A Booth Level Officer has also been engaged with each team.

However, some areas are still facing the problem of food being not reaching to the needy people. Citizens are requested to inform about such people to the administrative officials.

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COVID-19: Myth Busters

The next in the COVID-19 series are the Top 10 Myth Busters about Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Ordering products from China can get you in contact with Coronavirus (COVID-19)

It’s completely false, as the virus doesn’t have a long life on surfaces. So it’s very unlikely to catch the infection just by the product that’s been shipped from an affected country.

Courier
Credits: smallbusiness.co.uk

People infected with Coronavirus (COVID-19) will die

It’s another very common myth which revolves around the virus. The death rate of Coronavirus (COVID 19) is just 2% and people who are infected with it will feel similar to the common cold.

Death
Credits: metro.co.uk

Face Mask will safeguard you against Coronavirus (COVID-19)

It is definitely a myth as face (surgical) mask should only be worn by the professionals who are treating the infected patients and the infected people themselves. If a normal person wears it, it won’t be any good as chances of catching the virus in the space between mouth and mask is vulnerable too.

Face mask
Credits: belfastive.co.uk

Pneumonia vaccines protect against Coronavirus (COVID-19)

COVID-19 is a new and different kind of virus in the Coronavirus group. Pneumonia vaccines don’t protect against COVID-19. Specific vaccine for COVID-19 is being developed by researchers all over the world with the help of the World Health Organization.

Vaccine
Credits: fbresearch.org

Gargling and/or mouthwash protects against Coronavirus (COVID-19)

There has been no clear and scientific evidence for it. Mouthwash only helps us eliminate certain kinds of microbes from the saliva in the mouth, not viruses like COVID-19.

Mouthwash
Credits: oralb.co.uk

Pets (dogs and cats) are carriers of Coronavirus (COVID-19)

No clear evidence has been stated yet. Even though it’s recommended by the doctor to properly wash hands after coming in contact with them. Also making them take regular baths so as to remove any microbes or viruses they are carrying on their fur (skin).

Pets
Credits: housekeeping.com

Antibiotics can prevent the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Antibiotics are medicines which fight bacteria. As the name suggests Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a kind of virus. Therefore any type of antibiotic won’t work against Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Antibiotics
Credits: biospectrumindia.com

Elderlies and kids are more vulnerable to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

All age groups are likely to catch this virus. The only reason elderly and kids are asked to take more care is because they have a weak or underdeveloped immune system which isn’t strong enough to fight off Coronavirus (COVID 19). Also, those with underlying medical conditions such as asthma, heart diseases, diabetes etc are also more vulnerable to the virus.

Old and young
Credits: tapnewswire.com

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an airborne infection

It’s completely false as Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an infection which is spread by respiratory droplets exhaled while coughing and/or sneezing. There is higher proximity of catching the virus in the close proximity with the droplets.

Eating garlic can prevent Coronavirus (COVID 19)

Even though Garlic is very healthy and may have many anti-microbe properties, preventing Coronavirus (COVID-19) isn’t just one of them.

Garlic
Credits: verywellfamily.com

This was all for the COVID-19: Information Series.

Thanks for supporting the initiative so much.

If you’ve any suggestions or queries please mail it to harshna@vivirmedia.com 

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16 coronavirus samples tested and found negative in Udaipur

When the entire country in under complete lockdown, Udaipur Administration is doing its best to fight the deadly coronavirus from spreading further in the city. The lockdown is being practised in the city effectively and sincerely to a fair extent.

Apart from a few instances of panic and rush, the day-1 of complete lockdown went by well.

As per the latest reports from the MB Hospital as on March 26, 16 samples were tested in Udaipur and none of them came out to be positive for coronavirus. All the patients whose blood samples were tested have been discharged from the hospital. They have been instructed to stay in isolation. A Rapid Action Team formed to deal with coronavirus will be monitoring them for the next few days.

Out of the 16 patients tested in Udaipur, 9 are from Sirohi, 1 is from Rajsamand, 1 from Pratapgarh and one was from Udaipur. All of them will have to be home quarantined for 14 days and then will be under surveillance for another 14 days.

The Chief Medical Health Officer (CMHO) at the MB Hospital, Dr Dinesh Kharade informed that 269 people who were in contact with the suspects are also being monitored. Besides, another 297 cases are under surveillance.

The Medical Officer also informed that the Primary Health Centre (PHC) and Community Health Centre (CHC) and the Child and Women Speciality Centres at MB Hospital will be operational from 9 AM to 3PM.

 

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COVID-19: Impacts

In the series, here we are discussing on the Impacts of Coronavirus.

 

Political 

Political impact of Coronavirus
Political impact of Coronavirus
  • Many administrators from the Communist Party of China (CPC) were terminated due to their conduct on the quarantine situation in Central China. A sign of dissatisfaction with the political establishment’s reaction to the outbreak in those regions. 
  • The Italian government criticised the European Union’s absence of solidarity with coronavirus-affected Italy.
  • The Iranian government has been brutally affected by the virus. On 14 March 2020, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani wrote a public letter to world leaders pleading for help. 
  • The outbreak has provoked calls for the United States to acquire social strategies popular in other wealthy countries, comprising universal health care, universal child care, paid family leave, and higher levels of funding for public health.
  • Diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea deteriorated due to the pandemic, as South Korea criticised Japan’s “controversial and sluggish quarantine efforts”.

Educational

Educational impact of Coronavirus
Credits: BBC
The educational impact of Coronavirus

As of 20 March, more than 960 million children and other students were impacted by interim or indefinite government-mandated school closures. Of these, 105 countries closed schools nationwide, implicating students who would generally attend pre-primary to upper-secondary classes, and 15 countries executed localized closures, impacting on an additional 640 million school children and other students.

On 18 March 2020, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) released a statement announcing the postponement of ongoing Board Exams for Classes 10th and 12th across all countries.

In reaction to school closures, UNESCO suggested the practice of distance learning programs, open educational applications and strategies that schools and teachers can operate to reach pupils remotely and curb the upheaval of education.

Economical

Worsening Conditions of Stock Market Coronavirus
Credits: Statista

Coronavirus recession refers to an economic recession which may happen across the world economy in 2020.

Some economists suggest that China’s economy may contract for the first time since the 1970s. As the coronavirus spreads around the world, the stock markets have experienced their worst crash since 1987.

In India, there have been rumours regarding imposing financial emergencies. Approximately 53% of the businesses have been affected by the pandemic including all the major firms which are either cutting salaries of their employees or shutting off their operations completely.

Social

Social impact of Coronavirus
Credits: synthesio
Social impact of Coronavirus on Social Media

While enormous progress has been made in responding to public health emergencies of COVID-19 disease and coordinating action internationally, much more needs to be done to better understand the repercussions of the measures taken on citizens and ensure their welfare.

Sentiments of people reflect fear and disgust towards the outbreak as their lives have come to a standstill and they are experiencing nothing but fear and disgust.

They are also in the awe that the COVID-19 outbreak might be an apocalypse they never expected of.

Environment

River of Venice which experienced return of aqua life because of Coronavirus
River of Venice which experienced the return of aqua life because of Coronavirus

Due to the coronavirus outbreak’s impact on travel and industry, many regions underwent a drop in all kinds of pollution, such as:

  • The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air of China documented that techniques to restrict the spread of COVID-19, such as quarantines and travel bans, resulted in a 25% deduction of carbon emission in the country. In the first month of lockdowns, China generated approximately 200 million fewer metric tons of carbon dioxide due to the decrease in air traffic, oil refining, and coal consumption. It was computed that this decrease may have saved at least 77,000 lives.
  • Between 1 January and 11 March 2020, the European Space Agency identified a marked deterioration in nitrous oxide emissions from cars, power plants and factories in the Po Valley region in northern Italy, occurring simultaneously with lockdowns in the region. 
  • In Venice, the water in the canals cleaned up and encountered an increased existence of fish and waterfowl.

Cultural

Cultural impact of Coronavirus
Credits: CNN
The cultural impact of Coronavirus shown by covering the statues by mask

Another contemporary and quickly stimulating aftermath of the infection is the cancellation of religious services, major tournaments in sports, the film industry, and other community-based events, such as music concerts, conferences, fashion shows and sports.

BCCI postponed IPL till 15th April resulting in resentment among the cricket fans of India and abroad. Even the filmmakers have postponed the release dates of their movies so that it doesn’t collide with the lockdown. All the major religious places such as mandirs, mosques, gurudwara, and churches have been closed down. Even the stand-up comic tours, concert tours, conferences, fashion shows have to be rescheduled or cancelled because of the outbreak.

Potential long-term impacts of COVID-19

Long term impact of Coronavirus
Credits: crf.org
Long term impact of Coronavirus

The political, cultural, and socio-economic impacts of the pandemic may concurrently cause crucial modifications in human civilization. Major intellectuals have indicated that this could comprise a boost in remote work, localization of international supply chains, and heightened political polarization. 

Xenophobia and Racism

Xenophobia and Racism towards Chinese because if Coronavirus
Credits: nypost.com
Xenophobia and Racism towards Chinese because if Coronavirus

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, exacerbated prejudice, xenophobia and racism have been reported towards people of European, Chinese and other East Asian origin, occurrences of fear, suspicion and hostility have been identified in many countries, especially in Europe, East Asia, North America and the Asia-Pacific region. 

Some countries in Africa saw surging anti-Chinese sentiment as well. There has been supporting for the Chinese, both on and offline, towards those in virus-stricken areas, but many dwellers of Wuhan and Hubei have reported suffering discrimination based on their provincial lineage.

Since the succession of the outbreak to new hot-spot countries, people from Italy have also been subjected to scepticism and xenophobia.

This was all for this article, next we’d be talking about Myths Vs Facts in our article of COVID-19 Information Series.

Stay Tuned! Stay Safe! Stay Home!

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Coronavirus Lockdown: What is Open What is Closed till 14 April

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi took a major step to fight the COVID-19 pandemic by declaring a 21-day Complete Lockdown in India from March 25 midnight.

The PM addresses the nation on 24th March to announce the news of India Lockdown.

As soon as the announcement was broadcasted on national television, people in many parts of the city started thronging in at the shops to collect everyday essentials.

UdaipurBlog appeals to the people not to get panicked by this 21-day lockdown, as the government has issued advisories within minutes of Modi’s speech.

It has clarified that essential services like ration, vegetables, milk, petrol pumps, banks, medical stores will continue to operate. Government has assured the supply of essential commodities. Meanwhile, it is also trying to get the essentials delivered at the doorstep to avoid them to leave their homes.

Today is the first day of the 21-day lockdown. Here is the complete information on what is open and what is closed till 14 April.

These services will continue

  • Banks, Insurance Offices and ATMs.
  • Electronic and print media.
  • Telecom, Internet services, broadcasting, cable services.
  • Ration shops, grocery stores, fruit and vegetable shops, dairy and milk booths, meat and fish shops, animal feed shops under the PDS.
  • Delivery of essential items like food, medicines, medical equipment through e-commerce.
  • Petrol pumps, LPG retail and storage outlets.
  • Power generation, transmission and distribution units and services.
  • Capital and debt market services, which have been notified by SEBI.
  • Cold storage and warehouse services.
  • Private Security Services.
  • Defence, Central Armed Police Forces, Treasury, Disaster Management, Power Generation and Transmission Units
  • Post Office, National Informatics Center, First Warning Giving Agencies.
  • Transportation of essential commodities, fire, law and order and emergency services.
  • Hotel, Home Stay, Lodge and Motel where people are stuck due to lockdown and where Tourist, Medical and Emergency Staff, Air Crew and Sea Crew are staying.
  • Institutions that have been selected for the quarantine facility.
  • Manufacturing units that manufacture essentials.
  • After the approval of the State Government, such production units will also be able to remain operational, where continuous production takes place.

These will remain closed

  • All types of industrial establishments will remain closed during the lockdown.
  • Transport services – Air, rail and roadways services
  • All types of teaching, training, research, coaching institutes
  • All types of religious places will remain closed

Legal actions will be taken under the following conditions

All the people coming to India after February 15 and all those who have been quarantined home, will be taken legal action under Section 188 of the IPC if they move out of their homes.

What if I violate the rules?

There is a provision of 1 year or fine or both if the government officer’s work is interrupted or if people do not follow the instructions.

It can also be extended to a sentence of 2 years.
Provision of fine and fine up to 2 years for making false claims.
Provision of fine and fine up to 2 years if unaccounted money or goods are collected.
A provision of 1 year or fine if false claims are made about the warning.
If the government department defaults, then the head of the department will be responsible and action will be taken.

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COVID-19: Indian and International Response

When the world is fighting with the novel coronavirus threat, UdaipurBlog brings to you a series of blog posts to provide authentic information and answer your questions about the disease.

And today we’ll be talking about Indian and International response on COVID-19.

Indian Response

Situation update

As of 23 March 2020 (9:00 AM), an aggregate of 390 COVID-19 cases (349 Indians and 41 foreign nationals) have been recorded in 23 states/union territories. These comprise 23 who have been cured/discharged, 1 who has migrated and 7 reported deaths.

Government’s response

The Prime Minister’s Office, Group of Ministers, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Cabinet Secretary are closely surveying the situation. While addressing the nation on 19 March 2020, the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi persuaded for resolve and restraint and adopting social distancing, including ‘Janta curfew’ (voluntary self-isolation) on Sunday, 22 March 2020 from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM. The government has conjured powers under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 to improve preparedness and response efforts. With COVID-19 being announced a pandemic, the State Disaster Response Fund, comprised under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, is now available with state governments for reaction measures.

Janta Curfew

Central ministries along with states/UTs have taken crucial steps to strengthen supervision, contact tracing and isolation, laboratory facility, quarantine facilities, and ensure availability of sufficient personal protective equipment, trained manpower and immediate response teams for managing of COVID-19.

India Lockdown

In the latest travel advisory, the government has banned all international commercial flights into India from 22 March 2020 for a week. The earlier visa constraints also remain in force. These are temporary measures and shall remain in force till 31 March 2020. Universal health screening continues at all junctions of entry into India.

In another update, all non-essential passenger transport, including all train services and suburban rail services, all metro services and inter-state transport buses, have also been discontinued till 31 March 2020.

WHO Country Office for India support

MOHFW

WHO Country Office for India has been operating closely with MoHFW, on preparedness and reaction measures for COVID-19, comprising disease surveillance, laboratory and research strategies, threat communications, training on infection prevention and supervision and cluster containment plan, surveillance and searching of travellers.

We welcome Prime Minister’s call for adopting social distancing strategy. Effective enactment of the strategy will go a long way in regulating the spread of the virus along with hand-hygiene and coughing and sneezing in one’s sleeves. Even as we maintain social distancing, it is equally significant to stand together in solidarity to survive this challenge,” says Dr Henk Bekedam, WHO Representative to India.

Resources from Government of India

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare 24*7 helpline number – +91-11-23978046

Now let’s talk about how the International community responded to the pandemic.

Travel Restrictions

Travel Restrictions

Many countries who have been impacted by COVID-19 outbreak have obliged temporary entry bans on Chinese citizens, recent travellers to China and other affected countries, discontinued issuing visas or reimposed visa requirements on Chinese citizens, as well as citizens of other affected countries, say Italy, Iran etc.

Evacuation of Foreign Citizens

Several countries evacuated their citizens and diplomatic staff from the Chinese Province, primarily through chartered flights of the home nation that have been provided authorization by Chinese authorities and secondarily through own flight services.

On 1st February 2020, India evacuated 324 people from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport to Indira Gandhi International Airport. This was India’s first evacuation flight. There were three minors, 211 students and 110 working professionals, and the flight was operated by Air India. 

International Aid

Aid-to-china2_coronavirsu_rec4

The humanitarian aid organization Direct Relief, in coordination with FedEx transportation and logistics support, sent 200,000 face masks along with other personal protective material, including gloves and gowns, by emergency airlift to the Wuhan Union Hospital by 30 January. 

India last month donated 15 tonnes of medical assistance to China which included masks, gloves and medical equipment. The supplies were transmitted by an Indian Air Force C-17 special flight which landed in Wuhan, China for evacuating deserted Indians.

India has also provided assistance to South Asian countries like Bhutan, Maldives and is in the process to help Nepal under the declarations made during the SAARC COVID-19 meet.

WHO Response Measures

The WHO has applauded the efforts of Chinese authorities in managing and preventing the epidemic, with Director-General Tedros Adhanom expressing “confidence in China’s approach to controlling the epidemic” and requesting the public to “remain calm”.

Numerous measures have been carried out by WHO on different occasions to provide relief and improve the situation in China as well as other affected countries.

This is all for today’s article. Next, we’d to talk about Impact of COVID-19 on different domains such as Political, Economical etc

Stay Tuned!

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Udaipur Coronavirus Updates

Udaipur Administration is making all the possible arrangements for the people of the city during the lockdown period.

24X7 Emergency Transport Facility

District Administration and Transport Department have made emergency transport arrangements for the people of Udaipur. The transport department has arranged for 44 rickshaws, 10 buses and 9 cabs for people who need to go to the airport, bus stand or railway station in case of an emergency. The department has fixed the tariffs for these services.

This facility has been provided by the administration for the public if they need to commute urgently. Anyone who needs the service has to call the control room on 0294-2471522. The control room will provide the mobile number of the autorickshaw along with the details of the driver.

20 autos will operate from the bus stand and 24 from Udaipur City Railway Station. The administration will take action against the autorickshaw driver who charging more than the fixed tariff.

No Newspaper during Lockdown

The newspaper hawkers in Udaipur will not be distributing the newspapers in the city till lockdown period.

The Hawkers Association of Udaipur has taken the decision as a precautionary measure. The association has decided to resume the newspaper distribution after the lockdown is over. Ramchandra Paliwal, the President of the Newspaper Hawkers Association, said that this is decision is not to support any party or government, but to support humanity. Paliwal said that the association is with the administration and is expecting the same support Hawkers are supporting the administration and they are expecting the same support from the newspaper publishers.

Private Vehicles Banned

The administration has banned all private vehicles in the city to avoid unnecessary traffic in the city.  Only vehicles related to essential services and those in exempted services would be allowed. Besides, public transport was also banned as the state went into a complete lockdown from March 22 till the next directive.

Annapurna Kits for the Needy

Udaipur District Administration along with Udaipur Police are distributing Annapurna kits for needy families who are not able to manage their daily meal requirements due to the lockdown. Besides, food packets are being distributed to the families of patients, including the elderly, labourers.

If there is a family in your neighbourhood who are daily wage labourers, garbage pickers or cycle rickshaw drivers etc. who need Annapurna Kit, kindly inform the administration on the numbers given below.

Kindly stay tuned for more updates from Udaipur Administration on COVID-19.

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COVID-19: Prevention and Management

In this blog post, we’ll be talking about the Prevention and Management of COVID-19 outbreak.

As we see the rising graph of positive cases around us, the very first step on an individual basis should be preventing the virus by practising various simple activities such as maintaining good personal hygiene, washing hands regularly, avoid touching face with unwashed hands, coughing/sneezing into a tissue, social distancing etc.

Government is also taking many steps so as to prevent the virus from reaching more people by restricting travel and cancelling the unnecessary one.

Following are the Preventive Measures we can take on a personal basis for safeguarding ourselves against COVID-19:

Hand Washing 🖐️

The very basic and very necessary of all is washing hands regularly. Doctors advise a 20-second wash with soap and water, before and after eating, using the toilet, coughing, sneezing and also when they are visibly dirty.

In case when water and soap aren’t accessible, sanitizer which has more than 60% alcohol by volume can be used. Even WHO has advised people all over the world to not touch their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.

Handwashing
Handwashing

Respiratory Hygiene 🤧

One of the most ignored preventive measures is maintaining respiratory hygiene. It includes covering the mouth with tissue paper while coughing and/or sneezing and then disposing of the tissue immediately.

It has also been seen that a lot of people (who aren’t even infected) are wearing surgical masks; which is something which shouldn’t be promoted. Only the infected people should wear masks, reason being, the mask can limit the volume and distance of the respiratory droplets exhilarated while talking, coughing or sneezing. People who are in regular contact with the infected person say, the family members are also advised to wear masks as they are at very high risk.

Anybody else than these people shouldn’t wear masks and leave them for the needy.

Surgical Mask
Surgical Mask

Social Distancing 🙏

Social distancing means staying away from people (typical lifestyle of an introvert 🤪) includes quarantine, travel restrictions, shutting down schools, theatres, workplaces, gyms etc.

Personally, we can practice social distancing by staying at home, avoiding travel, avoiding crowded places and not planning picnics as the lockdown isn’t any kind of holiday.
Even the government has mandated social distancing in the areas affected by COVID-19 outbreak.

Especially the adults, who are already suffering from some underlying medical conditions such as heart ailments or diabetes or respiratory issues should definitely stay at home and pray to God while being inside their homes.

Social Distancing
Social Distancing

Self-Isolation 🙅

Self-isolation means locking oneself in a room rather than attending parties (ahem ahem) especially when they are the positive cases of COVID-19 or are suspected to be one.

Management of COVID-19 is being seen in the following three stages:

Containment

This is an early-stage measure to manage the outbreak. It includes tracking down the origin and isolating the infected person. Its main motive is to stop spreading the virus.

Mitigation

It comes into picture when containment is of no use. It includes the mitigation of the effects on the health system and society.

Suppression

It’s the extreme measure to manage the outbreak and it focuses on reducing the basic reproduction (multiplication) of the virus.

Another phenomenon which is widely talked about these days in respect to the pandemic is Flattening the Curve which involves trying to decrease the peak of the outbreak as it’ll reduce the risk of health services being burdened and provides more time for developing the vaccines and treatments.

This is all for this blog post, next we’d be talking about responses on Indian as well as International level.

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Udaipur Administration issues directives for COVID-19

Under the Rajasthan Lockdown, Udaipur City Collector Anandhi issued directives to take necessary measures to check the outbreak of coronavirus.

Talking to the media, the collector said the administration ensures the supply of essential products and services including food, medical shops, ration shops, banks, police stations, hospitals etc. However, the other non-essential services businesses and services will remain suspended till 31 March.

Through Sahkari Upbhokta Bhandar, the city administration has arranged for 10 thousand food packets to be distributed to needy people in case of any emergency. An advance lift of ration items under the PDS scheme would also be made to ensure that there is no shortage of edible items.

The collector ensured to develop modalities to manage the supply of essential goods and services during the lockdown period. A helpline and control room would be set up soon for the people in case of emergencies.

Besides, the administration has made a 14 days institutional quarantine and 14 days home quarantine for those who have returned from sensitive countries. The collector has also issued instructions of home quarantine for those who have come to Udaipur including Maharashtra, Punjab, Bhilwara, Jhunjunu and other affected cities of India.

The administration will stamp their hand with “Proud to Protect Rajasthan Home Quarantine Till Date”.

The local public and neighbours can monitor such people and inform the administration.

There have been no positive cases reported in Udaipur so far.

Only limited vehicles carrying patients to hospitals would be permitted on the roads. However, all public and private transport services would remain suspended during the lockdown.

Moreover, vegetable vendors would be going door to door in colonies for vegetable supplies to avoid rush and gatherings in vegetable markets.

Although the banking services are operational during the lockdown, the administration has appealed to people to visit bank only in case of urgent and necessary bank-related work.

During the lockdown, till 31st March, SP Kailash Chandra Bishnoi has implemented Section 144 in which not more than 5 people are permitted to assemble at public places. The SP and the administration have also appealed to people to stay away from rumours on social media and not to spread them further.

The police will trace and arrest people who are spreading false news.

Services operational during the lockdown:

  • Medica and Health services
  • Medical College and Education
  • Ayurvedic College and institutions
  • Home Services (Police, Jail, Home Guard, FSL)
  • Finance Department
  • Personnel Department
  • District Administration departments
  • Electricity and Power department
  • Water (Public Health Department)
  • Autonomous administrative bodies (Udaipur Municipal Corporation)
  • Food and Civil Supplies Department
  • Disaster Management and Support
  • Panchayati Raj
  • Department of Information and Technology
  • Department of Public Relations
  • Department of Transport
  • General Administration
  • State Motor Garage Department
  • Legal Department

Public entry into all these departments will be forbidden and restricted entry will be permitted.

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COVID-19: Basic Information

When the world is fighting with the novel coronavirus threat, UdaipurBlog brings to you a series of blog post to provide authentic information and answer your questions about the disease.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease activated by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (scientifically known as SARS-CoV-2). The World Health Organization (WHO) notified on 11 February 2020 that “COVID-19” would be the official name of the ailment.

According to W.H.O. Chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, COVID-19 gets its names as “CO” stands for “corona”, “VI” for “virus” and “D” for “disease”, while the number “19” is for the year the disease was first identified. COVID-19 was first reported on 31 December 2019 in Wuhan, China.

Coronavirus
Coronavirus

The reasons for the origin of the virus are still unknown but the reports show that its first case was found in Wuhan city of Hubei province of China. 

As per W.H.O., the initial transmission of the virus is via respiratory droplets which people cough or sneeze in the surroundings. The virus remains active and infectious in aerosols for a minimum of 3 hours. The virus is likely to spread from a person who carries it but might not start showing any symptom as per an analysis conducted in Singapore, Tianjin and China.

Transmission of Coronavirus and how can we stop it
Transmission of Coronavirus and how can we stop it

Even when the social distancing measures are about to be lifted in China, there is a growing concern of recurrence of the virus. Though the city of Wuhan in China reports no new cases as of 18th March 2020, people are still in fear.

Symptoms of COVID-19 are not specific in nature, the person infected may be asymptomatic or may develop symptoms which are related to flu such as cough, sneezing, fatigue and most importantly fever.

Further development of these symptoms can lead to severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, septic shock or even death.

Coronavirus symptoms
Credits: Yakenewhavenhealth

The usual time between infection and symptom onset ranges between one to fourteen days; it is most typically five days.

Though the infection can be initially diagnosed by the signs and symptoms, there are numerous techniques to confirm the existence of the virus in the body.

Viral Testing

This type of testing uses real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). The test can be performed on respiratory or blood samples. Results are commonly available within a few hours to days.

The criteria for Viral Testing is that a person is regarded at risk if he has travelled to an area with active transmission in the last 14 days, or has had a close connection with an infected person.

Prevalent key indicators include fever, coughing and shortness of breath. Additional possible signs include fatigue, sore throat, anorexia, etc.

Viral testing Coronavirus
Viral testing Coronavirus

CT Imaging (CT Scan)

It focuses on radiographs and computed tomography but its success has been limited to a certain number of cases because of the presence of various other infections and viruses. Imaging without confirmation by PCR is of less use in diagnosing COVID-19.

The next article in the series would be about prevention and management COVID-19.

Stay tuned! Stay Healthy. Stay Safe!

For suggestions or queries, write to harshna@vivirmedia.com