The right way to walk during the pandemic

HYDERABAD:  While the government is relaxing lockdown measures with the unlocking processes like the opening of public gardens, parks and gyms, we have to understand that this is the relaxation given by the government, Coronavirus has still not relaxed, the number of infected people is increasing day by day and walking out without a mask can be really bad.

Dr B Sujeeth Kumar, Consultant Surgeon, Dept of General,Surgical G.I and Laparoscopic Surgery,  Apollo Health City,  Jubilee hills, suggests the following precautions have to be taken while walking in a public garden or park or while working out in a gym:

• Always maintain a distance of 12 feet to 20 feet while you are walking in a garden as when you walk or jog without a mask aerosol generation occurs at a higher speed and they will be able to travel to a longer distance.  
• Try to walk in places where there is less crowd or try to avoid crowded places.
• Try to avoid talking while you walk and refrain from attending laughter therapies. Walking in groups is not advisable. It is always better if you walk independently.
• Do not touch anything in the garden/park. Always carry a bottle of sanitizer with you.
• Washrooms are usually crowded places with less ventilation. With too many people visiting the washrooms, chances of contacting virus from these places are very high. The virus may remain active in poorly ventilated areas for a long time so try to avoid washroom as much as possible. 

Breathe easy
Normal oxygen that is present in the air is 21%. When you are wearing an N95 mask if you are working normally it does not really cause any problem in your oxygen levels in the blood but when you are doing any activity, say, jogging or running the availability of oxygen inside the mask may reduce to 17.5% or 18%. Also, the breathed out carbon dioxide can remain in the mask for a little bit longer. Inhaling high levels of carbon dioxide may be life-threatening.

Hypercapnia, the carbon dioxide toxicity can cause headache, double vision, giddiness, convulsions and person may faint. This is most likely to happen in those who have compromised lung capacity like smokers, asthmatics, COPD patients. If there is an increased strain over the lungs, owing to increased inspiratory resistance, they may puncture, leading to Pneumothorax. It is a life-threatening condition and has to be treated immediately with the placement of chest tube in pleural cavity to relieve the pressure on the lung, so use of N95 mask while running or jogging is to be avoided. You can definitely use the surgical mask but even with these try to avoid high-intensity workouts. Also, understand that if the surgical mask gets wet with sweat then they won’t be serving the purpose of filtering the virus.

On the go

• Try to stick to simple walking at 5-6 mph speed. Do not forget to take rest in between. In case you feel like giddiness or headache, sit down, remove your mask and try to avoid any strenuous activity that day.
• People who are diabetic,  COPD patients, elderly people are not advised to go outside for walking.
• Also remember with heavy rains outside and increased stagnated pools of water which act as breeding grounds for mosquitoes there may be an increased incidence of Malaria, Dengue etc so see that the place that you are going to visit is well maintained.
• Studies have shown that viral load in a very well ventilated area will reduce to 50% in less than a minute hence when you are going to gym see that it is properly ventilated and it is well maintained without being crowded. 
• It is equally important that the equipment in the gym is cleaned and disinfected at regular intervals or after immediate use. It is better to avoid air conditioning units.