Pambady: Hand hygiene could go a long way in preventing the spread of COVID-19 caused by the novel coronovirus. Washing your hands with alcohol-based solutions has been advised to sanitise them so that respiratory droplets containing the virus could be got rid off if we happened to touch surfaces with their deposits.
However, carrying out the cleansing activity is a challenge during bus journeys. To overcome the problem, a KSRTC bus running on the Kottayam-Chennampally-Kangazha route has kept hand sanitizers that can be used by every passenger.
The facility has been arranged by the local Gramasevini Residents’ Association in honour of the bus service, which has been regular on the route for the last five years.
K R Rajan, residents’ association president, inaugurated the bus-based anti-coronavirus initiative.
The office-bearers of the residents’ association supplied sanitizer to the bus driver, conductor and passengers. Subsequently, sanitizers were installed near the front and rear doors of the bus. Passengers can now wash their hands while boarding and then purchase tickets.
“The conductor will ask each person entering the bus to clean hands,” said Rajan who also heads the human resources development wing of the Nair Service Society.
Others who took part in the event included residents’ association secretary G Venugopal, treasurer P R Ajith Kumar and committee members Thomas Lal, Kuriakose Eapen, Biju Thomas, Rani P Mathew, Dr Bessy Varkey and Allen Thomas.
Health experts say coronavirus could enter the body through the mouth, eyes or nose through respiratory droplets that spreads in air or gets deposited on surfaces when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can remain potent on surfaces for hours to days, and could reach the lungs directly when inhaled.
