Post-Diwali air pollution: People with COVID history more susceptible to lung issues, says experts

Diwali, a festival that holds a special place in every heart of the people of India. It is the most exciting festival of lights, celebrations, and enjoyment. It is commonly celebrated by socializing with family and friends and on this occasion, people light up lamps or candles to represent the success of light over darkness. However, burning firecrackers as a part of the celebrations has become a matter of concern. The darkest side of Diwali is the harmful plunge in the air quality. This certainly makes the air very dangerous to breathe. The effect of increased air pollutants remains as it is even some days after Diwali causing several health problems. In recent days, many countries worldwide have seen a steady surge in COVID cases with the recent emergence of omicron sub-variants i.e., XBB and XBB.1. These two sub-variants of Omicron are spreading in several countries at a fast pace. India has also seen 80+ cases in states like Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Hence, immediately after the Diwali festive celebrations, health experts are concerned about awareness regarding the post-Diwali effect on the lungs due to increased air pollution and parallelly, the rise in cases of XBB (a COVID-19 variant). To lower the risk of getting infected with the new variant, it is crucial to realize the importance of the precautionary doses which is as necessary as two of the primary doses. People with a history of COVID are at an enhanced risk of developing respiratory issues because, COVID has been seen to have long-lasting, adverse effects on the lungs. The most noteworthy thing is that the smoke of burning crackers remains in the air for many days after Diwali. We have witnessed aggravation of breathing issues in people during this time. People with pre-existing health conditions like Asthma, Bronchitis, or COPD should take their all due COVID vaccine doses on priority. As the infection travels through the respiratory tract, people with weak respiratory system scan experience severe illness. However, the severity of the disease is also dependent on the comorbid conditions and age. People with chronic lung ailments like COPD and Asthma and people who had recovered from COVID in the past should take adequate precautions like using masks and keeping their inhalers/medications handy and avoiding exposing themselves to the smoke as much as possible from both outside and inside. Due to the maximum exposure to different air pollutants such as high levels of carbon monoxide and fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in size, many people may experience symptoms like irritation in the throat, cough, and breathlessness during Diwali and even after some days post-Diwali. Therefore, people with chronic lung diseases or people who have a previous history of COVID should get themselves vaccinated with booster shots as early as possible so that they remain safe from getting re-infected with coronavirus as that can now become life-threatening for them. ]It has been proved by multiple clinical studies that all the booster doses available in India, Covishield, Covaxin, Cobervax, and Sputnik can significantly contribute to re-strengthening the vaccine efficacy and reduce the chances of hospitalization and other complex health conditions, especially in people who suffer from some pre-existing respiratory disorders. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on every individual across the globe but in India, specifically, patients with respiratory disorders had the most difficult time due to Diwali pollution. Furthermore, Diwali is being celebrated amid the coronavirus pandemic for the last three years. Looking back on the last year’s celebration, India witnessed a huge spike in COVID-19 infections with new variants just immediately after Diwali. Since the festival always indulges gatherings, and therefore, increased number of cases have always been observed in the country post-festive celebrations. Despite most of the eligible adult population being at least vaccinated with the primary doses of COVID-19, we can never ignore the possibility of another wave anytime soon if we do not prioritize taking the required precautions. The vaccine is a weapon against community transmission of any virus, therefore there should be multiple booster doses to ensure we move toward the complete eradication of COVID-19. Dr Gajendra Singh is a Public Health Expert and Dr Gurmeet Singh Chabbra is the Director & HOD – Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Marengo QRG Hospital Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.