Covid fear as bodies wash up on river banks: can the disease spread through water?

Fear among locals in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh after over 100 bodies were found floating in the Ganga over the last few days.

The bodies are suspected to be of Covid-19 patients and have sparked concerns about transmission of the virus through the river water.

Such incidents have been reported from Patna and Buxar in Bihar, Ghazipur, Hamirpur and Ballia in Uttar Pradesh.

The locals say while disposing of dead bodies in the river water is not a new practice, the sheer number of bodies and the scare of a pandemic has them worried.

A number of experts have however said that transmission of the virus through water is not a matter of concern.

Satish Tare, a professor at IIT-Kanpur who is part of Centre’s National Mission for Clean Ganga has said that dumping of dead bodies in the Ganga or any river is a serious matter but however stressed that it won’t have significant impact on transmission. Such practices lead to water pollution and rivers are a direct source of drinking water for a lot of locals.

Experts say the virus gets diluted it the water.

Dr Sylvie Briand who heads the World Health Organistation’s Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness department too has specified that water cannot transmit COVID-19. The global health body has said that if someone goes swimming they won’t contract the virus from the water but from other people in the pool who are infected.

The Govt has meanwhile asked states to ensure strict vigilance and check future incidences of people dumping bodies in rivers but what is leading to such incidences in the first place is lack of space for people to lay their dead.

Investigations have also been ordered to find out where the bodies came up from with Bihar and UP govts playing the blame game but locals are not worried about where the bodies came from, they are worried about their lives.