From keeping doors and windows shut in case there is a covid positive patient in the neighbourhood to taking multiple supplement pills, there has been a frenzy of activity among Chennaites to keep themselves infection free, but are these measures effective?

“Vitamin C has good anti-infective agents and anti-inflammatory. It increases immunity and boosts the body’s protection against viral and bacterial diseases. While citrus fruits like lemon and sweet lime do have vitamin C, it is very difficult to quantify the amount of vitamin in it and be certain of how much of it is absorbed in the body,” says Dr Pradeep Nair from Fortis Hospital, Chennai.

“Supplements, on the other hand, have the concentrated dose of Vitamin C that the body requires and you can control the intake. Vitamin C tablets of one gram or 500 OD per day should be sufficient for adults. But, having said that consuming citrus fruit is also advisable because it’s always better to get vitamins through natural sources.”

“Double masks are always better than singles ones. If you’re wearing a single mask, try using an N95. I would suggest wearing two washable well-fitted masks than an N95 only because the latter is not washable and may get uncomfortable after a while,” says Dr Nair. If you are in close contact with a covid patient, a face shield is helpful in case the patient sneezes or coughs, otherwise, masks are good enough.

Responding to incidents where residents whose neighbours have taken to restrict themselves in the house with windows shut in case of neighbours testing positive for Covid in an attempt to shut out the virus, Dr Nair says, “This I think is a good decision, because this second wave is more infectious, and for some time we have to be extremely cautious.”

The use of ACs was discouraged during the first wave, and Dr Nair stresses that air conditioners can be used in homes, but with caution. “If you are alone in a room with the AC in a work set up or at home, if you are certain that no one in your family has covid then it’s safe to use ACs. But, if you’re with other people who may or may not have the virus, using AC becomes a risk because if one person in the room has corona then since the same air is getting circulated, all the other people in the room can also get infected,” Dr Nair says.