Thiruvananthapuram: A survey on using masks during the pandemic in the state capital has revealed that 30% of men and 11% of women do not wear masks properly. Apart from this, 2.5% of people do not wear mask at all.
The study was conducted by Capsule (campaign against pseudoscience using law and ethics), a wing of Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad, at 11 public places — Ayyankali Hall, Palayam, Kaimanom junction, Sree Padmanabhswamy temple road, Women and Children Hospital, Thycaud, Railway Station, East Fort bus stand, Kallinmoodu market, Manacaud junction, Kumarichanda, Attakulangara, and Ramchandran Textiles road.
Among the 1,017 people observed as part of the survey, 403 men were found using masks properly covering their nose and mouth. However, 179 of them were wearing masks on their chin and 15 were not wearing masks at all. Among women, 363 were wearing the masks properly, 46 were wearing it on their chin and 11 did not have one.
The study found that people were not serious about wearing mask in public places. “Kumarichanda continues to be a very sensitive region as people were not following Covid-19 protocols properly. This market was the nerve centre for the first super spread reported in the district.”
Among the 19 local traders in this market, five were selling fish without a mask while nine others were wearing masks on their chin.
“Even though several studies have pointed out that usage of masks would lessen the infection spread, people have not been taking the advice seriously. In the wake of the new virus strain being reported world over, including Kerala, we have to be more cautious on mask usage,’’ said M P Anil Kumar, convener of Capsule, Kerala.