The Covid-19 management model of Ahmedabad city was appreciated by the World Health Organization.

Additional chief secretary Rajiv Kumar Gupta who is appointed to handle Covid-19 management of Ahmedabad said that WHO scientists called the model worth emulating for other cities in the world.

The official release said as part of the exercise to share best practices of Covid-19 management across the world, Mr. Gupta along with AMC commissioner Mukesh Kumar gave a detailed presentation before senior scientist of WHO, Dr. Saumya Swaminathan.

Mr Gupta said Dr Swaminathan praised various initiatives taken by Ahmedabad such as dhanvantari rath, 104 helpline, corona ghar seva and said they can be adopted by other cities in the world. Similarly, the public private partnership in providing Covid treatment was also called worth emulating.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has warned that spikes in coronavirus transmission in a number of countries were being driven by young people letting down their guard.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, although older people are at a higher risk of severe disease, younger people are at risk too. One of the challenges we face is convincing younger people of this risk, he added.

Saying that young people can be infected and can transmit the virus to others, he stressed that young people must take the same precautions to protect themselves and others.

It was also suggested that the use of tobacco and smoking can increase the risk of transmission of Covid-19. The Health and Family Welfare Ministry said smokers are more vulnerable to COVID-19 as the act of smoking increases contact between lips and fingers. It also said, smoking products such as water pipes or hookah often involve the sharing of mouth-pieces and hoses, which could accelerate the transmission of COVID-19 in a social gathering.

Experts have said that smokers are more likely to develop severe symptoms or die from COVID-19 as it primarily attacks the lungs. Evidence from countries reporting COVID-19 related fatalities has highlighted that the people with pre-existing non-communicable diseases are more susceptible to becoming severely ill with COVID-19. Tobacco, being one of the causes behind these diseases indirectly puts the tobacco users and smokers at risk of being affected by COVID-19.

The Health Ministry said coronavirus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Chewing tobacco products increases the urge to spit which can accelerate the transmission of COVID-19. Spitting in public places increases health risks especially those of spreading infectious and contagious diseases like COVID-19, tuberculosis, swine flu, encephalitis and others. Tobacco use is a major risk factor for the four main Non-Communicable Diseases- cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic lung disease and diabetes. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare warns against the use of any tobacco products.