An Assam-based NGO has been campaigning among people on the outskirts of urban areas for using locally-grown food as immunity boosters to combat the novel coronavirus.
The group, named All & Sundry has also been distributing masks with riders to use each for six hours at most and dispose of them properly.
“We advise the people to ingest foods that have medicinal properties and are rich in nutrients such as zinc, vitamin C and vitamin D for strengthening one’s immunity. The focus is on vegetables, fruits, herbs and dairy products they produce, and are locally available and affordable,” the NGO’s founder Abhishek Singha said.
“Many people are not aware of how nutrients work in maintaining or increasing the body’s immune system and metabolism. Our job is to tell them how and which food is rich in what nutrients,” he added.
Mushroom, turmeric, milk, basil, gooseberry, lemon, pumpkin seeds, lentils, beans and peanuts are such foods that are easily available, he said.
All & Sundry members, working in Golaghat, Majuli, Lakhimpur and Sonitpur districts have also been campaigning against cloth masks.
“Our not-for-profit organisation has so far distributed 3,000 surgical masks to needy people, each given 14 pieces for a week. The idea is to make them wear a mask properly for up to six hours and dispose of them soon after use,” Mr. Singha told The Hindu.
Members of the NGO demonstrate how a surgical mask loses its electrostatic effect if reused after a wash and how a knot increases the efficiency of a mask by 20%.