NEW DELHI: A study conducted by academicians from School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School have found that the extended closure of the red light areas (RLAs) in India could delay the peak of COVID-19 cases by up to 23 days and the toll could be reduced by 67 per cent.
The model projects that while West Bengal’s red-light areas will experience over 2,000 deaths of sex workers and red light area residents if RLAs reopen, Maharashtra too would be one of the worst affected states.
“Compared with re-opening RLAs, extended closure of RLAs could reduce COVID-19 cases by 32-60.2 per cent in cumulative cases and reduce cumulative COVID-19 deaths by 44-67.6 per cent at the peak of epidemic.
“Moreover, extension of closure of RLAs after lockdown could delay the peak of COVID-19 cases in India by 8-23 days,” the report by Code Red COVID read.
Code Read COVID is a global coalition of doctors and researchers from Harvard Medical School, Yale Medical School, KEM Hospital, and other institution.
The study further revealed that there could be over 400,000 infections and 12,000 deaths among red light area workers and residents in the next one year if they are reopened. “There would also be a 43-67.6 per cent reduction in the cumulative number of COVID-19-related deaths nationally,” the study said.
The study also suggested that it could take at least 18 more months for a vaccine to be development and distributed throughout India may. “In the capital city of New Delhi, the GB Road Red Light Area could experience 2,774 cases, 386 hospitalizations, and 91 deaths,” the study said.
Speaking about the findings of this study, co author of this study, Dr Abhishek Pandey from Yale University said, “It is impossible to practice social distancing during sex. Residents of red-light areas including sex workers, pimps, and brothel managers are at higher risk of infection. By keeping red light areas closed till there is an effective preventive measure, thousands of deaths among residents of red-light areas can be averted.” “In the absence of efficacious treatments or vaccines for COVID-19, there are limited public health interventions that can substantially reduce COVID-19 cases and deaths when re-opening a country as large and diverse as India. Extended closure of RLAs in India may be one of these interventions — and it is feasible,” the study suggested. It further suggested that across all RLAs in India, at least 39.2 per cent of cumulative hospitalisations, 39.9 per cent of cumulative ICU admissions, and 42.9 per cent of cumulative deaths could be averted by the date of COVID peak if the RLAs remain closed. (PTI)
