Masking and maintaining physical distancing are the two pillars of preventing Coronavirus infection during the festive season

The third day of the 27^th Perfect Health Mela 2020 was an eye-opener on celebrating festivals during the current pandemic. An insightful Q and A session with Padma Shri Dr K K Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and CMAAO was the highlight of the day. Apart from explaining how to celebrate this year in the new normal, it also focused on dispelling myths and answering pertinent questions around things.

HCFI’s Perfect Health Mela is a flagship health education and awareness event held annually and this year, it began on 1^st November 2020 to go on till 8^th November 2020. The event is digital this year in view of the pandemic but with more engaging and informative content. The theme this year is Safe-guarding from COVID-19.

Speaking at the event, Padma Shri Awardee, Dr K K Aggarwal, said, “Diwali is a festival of cleanliness and it is important that we take this aspect very seriously this year. It is a good time to discard what is not needed in the house and avoid the spread of any kind of infection or disease. Celebrations with family are fine this year but if you decide to involve people from outside, make sure that you follow the safety protocols well. While it is better to avoid crowding, in cases where you need to call people over, remember the two keywords: wear a mask and maintain a distance.”

The third day of the Mela also saw several other interesting sessions. Some of these focused on managing garbage with vermicomposting, low-cost teaching aids, hydroponics, etc. There was a very engaging discussion between acclaimed actor Ashish Vidyarthi. The day also saw various competitions for school and college children such as mono act, qawwali, solo dance, etc.

Started in 1993, the Perfect Health Mela caters to people from all age groups and all walks of life. It showcases activities across categories such as health education seminars, check-ups, entertainment programmes, lifestyle exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and competitions. Over 200 organizations attend the event each year including state and central government entities, PSUs, and leading corporates. This one-of-its-kind event is supported this year by patrons like LIC, and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, Drug controller Delhi and jan Aushadhi Dept.

Some key takeaways from the session on celebrating festivals are as follows.

• About 15 minutes of cumulative meetings can spread infections. Maintain physical distance and wear a mask at all times. Winters freeze the lipid layer of viruses. If they get into the nose, they can get stuck there and give infection.
• Those who wish to apply mehndi can be innovative this year and only do so on the feet. In case you are getting married and also want to apply on your hands, make sure you keep them on both sides. There should a distance of at least 3 feet between the applier’s mouth and the client’s to avoid face to face transmission.
• For Diwali pooja, it is good to place the Diyas outside the house to reduce the rate of transmission. Do not send mithai and chocolate. Send educational links or a packet of masks since most of those available in the market are not the right ones.
• Avoid crackers completely. They can lead to pollution which can further increase CRP. In case the person gets COVID-19, the severity will increase because of pollution.
• Do not consume alcohol since it can increase the chances of fatty liver. About 18 ml of whiskey is harmless but anything over and above can be detrimental.
• Open air parties are better. To prevent any kind of infection, cross ventilation is very essential which cannot happen in a room with just one window or none at all.