Bad governance, faulty and unscientifically implemented SOPs, print media supporting fear psychosis and destructive dictats of the politicians in power with sheepish and blind Indian polity has placed the country’s economy, health and livelihood in total chaos and shambles.
For instance, tourism is currently a major economic activity in Goa, reportedly making up 40 per cent of the state revenue and significant amount of the Goan population is directly or indirectly dependent on tourism for an income. Therefore the ill-effects owing to lockdowns and future disruptions to the tourism sector would have a potentially adverse impact on those who solely rely on it for their livelihood. Goans have ignored agriculture and economic challenges are grave as polluting mining and coal handling is promoted tacitly by the Government of Goa.
COVID-19 can have a severe debilitating health impact, especially in people over 60 years of age or those with chronic diseases owing to lower immunity. Impaired lung function from COVID-19 infection can negatively affect other organs like the heart, kidneys, and brain, with significant health impacts that may last after getting over the infection.
The finding of several health experts go on to show that opening up from the lockdown could have far more disastrous health effects if this opening of economic activity is not done in a scientific manner. For instance, how can Goans ever get “herd immunity” if the Chief Minister has declared that we should wear masks and keep social distancing, thus keeping us away from the viral antigen?
The “Hospitality Sector” in Goa is currently reeling under disruption of business activity with practically no revenues for the past 12 weeks. With limited reservation inquiries, the hotel sector is waiting anxiously to welcome guests after lockdown restrictions are eased in the weeks ahead. However, in no case should health and safety of guests and associates be compromised.
Health and safety is not just about maintaining high standards of food and beverages but also about ensuring that impeccable hygiene levels are maintained at recreational facilities which are water related and are increasingly being provided to enhance the “Guest Experience” to attract clientele. Water bodies such as ornamental fountains, lagoons, swimming pools, wet spas, water walls as well as Wet Cooling Towers connected to modern HVAC Systems have complex piping networks running through the hotel properties and these present a significant risk of contamination if not maintained adequately even under normal circumstances during high occupancy.
The lockdown and consequent closure of hotels have resulted in stagnation or low flow within various water features and underlying plumbing networks which have inevitably give rise to growth of bio-films, which nurture the growth of pathogens such as toxic algae, fungi and bacteria such as Klebsiella, Pseudomonas and Legionella. These bacteria in the contaminated water systems when subjected to turbulence get aerosolized causing the them to spread into the surrounding air and infect the guests. Upon exposure, these can lead to a deadly respiratory disease for such as pneumonia including Legionnaires disease.
It is thus imperative for Hotel Owners / Maintenance Managers to ensure that disinfection and bio-flushing of various water systems is conducted in a scientific manner and microbial analysis is done to validate disinfection procedures before calamities occur after the starting of operations. This will ensure that negative impacts of secondary infections are kept low and our tourism growth is not hindered in the months ahead.
In Goa we have completely ignored the impact of the opportunistic pathogens which are the main cause of death of viral attacks. The COVID-19 is a RNA virus which takes control of the human genetic machinery and uses it to produce viral particles. Per se it does not produce toxicity and kill the host. Scientists are debating too whether the COVID-19 virus is a genetically engineered virus or a mutant of a coronavirus which is found in most domesticated animals and also found in normal flora of humans.
The Italian scientists in their latest research have shown that victims of COVID-19 morbidity died due to secondary infections caused primarily by secondary opportunistic pathogens like Diplococcus pneumonia and other bacteria in the lungs and those causing septicemia thrombosis and blood clots, thus adversely affecting blood circulation, leading to heart attacks and brain strokes.
Goa government has faltered very badly in its approach towards containment of the problem of the pandemic.
Strangely, without consulting local experts in microbial epidemiology, the local govt has opened up commercial activities around the Vasco town, which include mining and coal handling. The epidemiological guidelines clearly state that 3 km around the epicenter be declared as “Containment Zone”, and 5 km beyond that as “Buffer Zone” (Covering Vasco, Mormugao, Cortalim and Dabolim). However the headless jumping chicken approach of the Goa Government of not doing so when the infection of COVID-19 is at its peak is quixotic and will lead to the growth of the epidemic in Goa.
Hence post-lockdown it is important for the Goa government to concentrate on reducing secondary infections which is likely to affect the tourism trade in particular and Goans at large in the long run.
(The writer is a retired University Professor and an environmental activist)
