Sumon Speaks on: Coronavirus and wearing of masks

Boisar Station on 25 March, 2020
from my mobile Camera. 

You must be aware that 25 March,  2020 night around 11 pm near Boisar (Bridge), Mumbai Metropolis, when there was virtually no one on the street, except a few speeding vehicles and cars I was harassed and abused by Maharashtra police; who even misbehaved with me. 

If they had politely told me that you need to wear a mask, I would have bought the same from a nearby medicine shop. But they went on abusing me and misbehaving with me, asking me to pay a hanky over my nose. This is was the banality which hit my sentiments very hard. In fact it was me,  who suggested to buy a mask,  if it was at all necessary in a road, where there was  hardly any sign of human presence as it was around 11 pm.

The point is Indians are already disturbed by the coronavirus epidemic, spreading across the length and breadth of the country and if a person employed to protect them becomes predators, then I feel it is the most unfortunate thing to happen at this time. 

I appreciate CM,  Shri Uddhav Thackeray and Deputy CM, Shri Ajit Pawar's efforts to rein in the situation, but then at what cost? 

Harassing and misbehaving with a person who is out there to bring food and rations, apart from withdrawing money from an ATM; travelling a long distance? 

Coming back to the topic, I would like to say that when a white top constable touched my hair and said, "Are they real", he was actually risking his life to coronavirus exposure, because I'm a stranger to him and could be a potential carrier of life threatening Coronavirus, right? 

It seemed he was drunk too,  but not sure. Other among the three constables who intercepted me, why was he behaving in such a strange manner as compared to the other two? This is a question which Mumbai police needs to answer now, before it is too late!!

It is strange why the police force has not been made aware, not to touch the hair or head of a stranger with bare hands,  tr, when government itself has been crying hoarse asking the people not to touch mouth or eyes after coming in contact with an infected person or a healthy looking carrier of Covid  - 19; without washing hands thoroughly with a disinfect or at least with soaps.

Hence, it was oxymoron for this policeman to advice wearing a mask at such odd hours to a virtually marooned person on one hand, while touching the head of an unknown person, who as mentioned earlier could be a live carrier of the deadly disease.

Even if I was a carrier,  in absence of human presence nearby, at such odd hours, it is virtually hilarious to force someone to buy mask at gun point. 

Therefore, there  are a few issues here which needs to be discussed here:

#Is wearing a mask necessary in a place where there is virtually no one around?

#What is the official WHO directive on wearing a mask

To know a bit on the same I decided to cull internet and here is what I found:

#Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak some places have fully embraced wearing face masks, and anyone caught without one risks becoming a social pariah.

#In mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and Taiwan, the broad assumption is that anyone could be a carrier of the virus, even healthy people. So in the spirit of solidarity, you need to protect others from yourself.

#Some of these governments are urging everyone to wear a mask, and in some parts of China you could even be arrested and punished for not wearing one.

#But in many other parts of the world, from the UK and the US to Sydney and Singapore, it's still perfectly acceptable to walk around bare-faced.

In East Asia, many people are used to wearing masks when they are sick or when it's hayfever season, because it's considered impolite to be sneezing or coughing openly.

#Some argue that ubiquitous mask wearing, as a very visual reminder of the dangers of the virus, could actually act as a "behavioural nudge" to you and others for overall better personal hygiene.

#People who do not wear masks in these places have also been stigmatised, to the point that they are shunned and blocked from shops and buildings.

Nobody else needs to wear a mask, and there are several reasons for that.

One is that a mask is not seen as reliable protection, given that current research shows the virus is spread by droplets and contact with contaminated surfaces. So it could protect you, but only in certain situations such as when you're in close quarters with others where someone infected might sneeze or cough near your face.

This is why, experts say,  frequent hand washing with soap and water is far more effective.

Removing a mask requires special attention to avoid hand contamination, and it could also breed a false sense of security. Now let us see what WHO says about wearing a masks.

In Asia - here in Singapore, the government has urged the public not to wear masks to ensure adequate supplies for healthcare workers, and most people walk around without one. There is substantial public trust in the government, so people are likely to listen to such advice.

Bottomline: It seems the Maharashtra Police high on using slang, abusive vocabulary and misbehaviour towards common people is less prepared to deal with the deadly coronavirus. 

I therefore, request the CM,  Shri Uddhav Bhau Thackeray and his deputy Shri Ajit Pawar to look into this matter urgently, so that common people like us, who depend on outside food to remain alive, don't get harassed by the Mahararashtra Police or those in charge of giving security to the citizens of India.