Panic grips Gurugram, hoarding picks up

Box: Using paracetamol

Though there is no official confirmation, several reports have claimed people consuming paracetamol to pass screening at the airport, railway station and local housing societies. Doctors have strictly advised against this, saying any attempt to hide a symptom can be fatal for the entire community.

Sumedha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Gurugram, March 19

Serpentine queues and brawls at grocery stores, empty roads and an impending shutdown of all units except essential services — Covid havoc has gripped Gurugram.

With four patients having tested positive, both the authorities and residents are alert. The local authorities have started marking a trail of the four patients, noting the places they visited and people they met to screen them.

Among the patients, the latest case has sparked the maximum panic. The 22-year-old student arrived from London on March 14. It was still a mystery for the authorities how she managed to pass screening at the airport.

“We are going to their housing societies and contacts and shops they visited for screening. We are asking people with the simplest symptoms to come forward and abstain from any rumours or panic,” said a senior health official.

People were hoarding grocery items and medicines, including life-saving drugs. Due to social media posts, reported immunity boosters were out of stock and even being sold at five times the cost.

The demand for home dialysis had increased, with people booking machines for months and being asked to cough up Rs 10,000 per dialysis though the charges in posh hospitals was Rs 3,500.

Sources claimed that many domestic helps were out of work, with a majority of housing societies allowing only maids staying with them, increasing charges. Delivery boys, auto drivers, rickshaw pullers and street vendors were thrown out of work.

“People should refrain from panic and resort to social distancing. We are doing our best to ensure that there is no further spread, but it depends primarily on citizens to adopt and aid all advisories,” said Deputy Commissioner Amit Khatri.