During this pandemic, there is a bigger question of whether to travel or not to travel? But sometimes there is an out rest quest where you have to travel no matter what. There are many studies and research done on this, but a recent study conducted by Johns Hopkins University (JHU), Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering stated that a person has more chances of effecting with covid 19.
It is also specified that it is 300 times riskier to contract COVID-19 infection while sitting in an AC compartment of a cab or train or any other public vehicle with an infected covid passenger than in an autorickshaw without AC.
The study, which was stated and also published in a peer-reviewed journal, Environmental Research, stated that the probability of infecting with COVID-19 infections is decreased by less than 250 per cent in a non-AC compartment which is a cab, taxi, or train compartment where the windows are open and fresh oxygen is supplied.
The study was conducted by Darpan Das and Gurumurthy Ramachandran and was given the title Risk analysis of different transport vehicles in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. This leads to a kind of public awareness in the general public, which is very helpful.
In their research study, Das and Ramachandran have shown much evidence of this and calculates the chances of an individual being affected by COVID-19 infection in four vehicles, which are commonly used in Indian metropolitan cities for public transportation. These modes of transport used in Indian metropolitan cities were AC taxi, non-AC taxi, bus and auto-rickshaw, train AC compartment, and non-AC compartment. The study suggested and verified the probability of an individual getting infected at various ranges of ventilation rates of covid 19.
The study and research also stated that there could be low infection rates in public transportation systems if the people have awareness among them and can be maintained by following the norms of social distance and also by the compulsion of face masks, which is N95; sanitizing trains and buses; washing the regular hands-on basis and without touching our hands and following the rules of lockdown to avoid chaos and overcrowding.
The study’s research revealed and stated that the risk of getting infected by covid 19 rankings of commute micro-environments is altered in different stages of the lockdown. The risk calculations clearly state that while the AC-taxi option is most preferable during regular periods to mitigate air pollution, this should be done and may not be a viable option during a pandemic. Further, auto-rickshaws with the highest air exchange rate show the lowest probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection. So to conclude there is a need to be careful among this covid 19 situation and travelling should only be done if it is a case of emergency. And also if travelling the norms of safety should be followed.