This year, festivals feel a lot more different. More so because travelling is no option. MUSBA HASHMI tells you how one can still  do the fun and frolic

Come festival and the excitement of having friends and family over is on an all time high. More so, when it is rakshabandhan and your siblings are uber-sweet with you.

However, with COVID-19’s raging fury, festivities this time make for a less special occasion. But that doesn’t mean, that there will be no fun and frolic. One can still do away with all the fun, but keeping in mind the precautions and avoiding unnecessary travel.

Dr Nikhil Modi, Senior Consultant, Respiratory, Critical care & Sleep Disorder, Institutes of Critical Care, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, tells you that with the restrictions easing the responsibility now lies on people to maintain precautions even during the festival.

“As COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the country, the issue of how the upcoming festivities would be celebrated with safe socialising whilst maintaining social distancing, is of utmost concern. While restrictions on movements and lockdowns in most parts of the country have been eased the threat of spread has increased, as now the greater responsibilities lies with the people to maintain precautions and carry out any outdoor activities with utmost vigilance and precautions, to keep themselves and people around them safe for fear of any infection,” he says.

 It is possible that the combination of ease of travel restrictions and reopening of public places like malls contribute to the increased risk. More so during festivities when people tend to go out and shop, meet their families and indulge in socialising.

“Though people may understandably find it challenging, the best way to protect yourself and others is to stay home. We need to prioritise safety and precautions over our requirement of socialising. Moving out and creating crowded gathering doubles the risk of transmission, as we can’t ascertain who could have been in contact of an infected person or an infected surface. As healthcare experts our recommendation would be against stepping out of the house until absolutely necessary, that is in case of a medical emergency or an avoidable circumstance,” Modi says. He tells you that by following the basic precautions one can keep themselves and their families safe.

“One, perform hand hygiene frequently, particularly after contact with respiratory secretions. Hand hygiene includes either cleaning hands with soap and water or with an alcohol-based hand rub/sanitiser. Two, cover your nose and mouth with a flexed elbow or paper tissue when coughing or sneezing and dispose-off the tissue immediately. Three, maintain six feet gap between two people. Four, cover your mouth and nose with a mask,” he explains.

He adds that people should adapt to the new way of socialising and wear mask at all times. “If you are socialising with other people outside of your household, it’s best to do it outside in open air, where there’s more airflow and room for respiratory droplets to disperse. While outside, you should still maintain at least six feet of physical distance from others and wear a mask. It’s best to avoid socialising with too many people still if you are socialising with near and dear ones would recommend to keep the number of people to minimum,” he says.