Dileep V Kumar By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the fight against Covid-19 pandemic, the state is set to take a significant step as it might soon ask people to practise social distancing and wear face masks while inside the home also. A suggestion in this regard has transpired between the state expert committee for Covid-19 and the state government. It is learnt the health department is pondering over the practicality of the suggestion. At present, the state government stipulates social distancing and facemask while venturing out, including at workplaces and social gatherings. As per sources, it was during a state-level assessment meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that expert committee chairman Dr B Ekbal presented the proposal. It is learnt that the proposal was formulated after considering three possibilities- households becoming a larger transmission unit, some relaxations that came after extending lockdown and the expected large inflow of Keralites stranded abroad and other parts of the country. Households becoming larger transmission units By considering the idea of practising social distancing and using facemasks inside houses, the health department will try to address the issue of a household becoming a larger transmission unit. The department is of the inference that if a person contracts Covid-19, then the others who live with that person are more likely to get it from that person than from anyone else. “Carelessness had played a major role in infection transmission. That means either the person with suspected/confirmed case flouts the directions or the caretakers didn’t adhere to the precautions while nursing the patient. Thus within a family, a cluster is formed. By practising social distancing and using facemasks this could be avoided,” said a member of the state team. In the case of the spurt in cases especially in the northern districts, families remained the most significant hotspots of Covid-19 transmission. Experts say the rate of transmission of infectious diseases within households was shown to be much greater than between individuals not living together. Other aspects The other aspect is the lockdown extension and some relaxations which have been put in place. “This includes movement of vehicles, operation of industrial units, the functioning of private offices with upto 33% strength and others. This will result in the movement of people. Thus social distancing and facemasks should be made compulsory inside houses also,” said an officer of the health department. According to the officer, as the state enters the fourth month of infection transmission, it has been noted that viral behaviour is almost unpredictable. “We are dealing with silent spreaders consisting of asymptomatic, pre-symptomatic and very mildly symptomatic persons. To protect the high-risk groups from them, this mechanism will help a lot,” the officer said. It was said that such a decision was taken after anticipating the large inflow of expatriates to the state.

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