On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a speech where he appealed to the citizens of India to turn their lights off and light candles or turn on their mobile torches on Sunday, April 5, 2020 between 9 pm and 9.09 pm in a collective effort to battle coronavirus.
“This is to show that none of us are alone and we stand together in this fight,” PM Modi said.
Soon after, Twitter was abuzz with jokes about the prime minister’s speech. However, there were a few forwards doing the rounds that suggested that the PM’s idea was brilliant. One of them was the MyGovIndia Twitter handle, which shared a video of Dr KK Agarwal, the former President of the Indian Medical Association. However, the tweet was subsequently deleted, but not before people on Twitter downloaded and shared what Dr Agarwal had to say.
According to Dr Agarwal, PM Modi’s suggestion is a masterstroke because the ‘collective consciousness of people will ensure that the virus does not attach itself on the ACE2-receptor.’’
Incidentally, Dr Agarwal is a renowned cardiologist and the former chairman of the Indian Medical Association. He has been sharing info on how to tackle coronavirus in the past few weeks and also was one of the people who had asked the BCCI to postpone or cancel the IPL to prevent the spread of the disease.
Watch the video that was deleted by MyGovIndia
Naturally, the MyGov team was trolled for posting and deleting the tweet.
What is the ACE2-receptor?
The ACE-2 receptor is a chunk of protein present on the lung cells, which normally serves as a molecule in modulating hormone activity within the body. However, the receptor is the perfect host for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 to attach itself onto. As a New York Magazine article explains, “As the spike protein bumps up against the surface of the lung cell, its shape matches that of the ACE2 so closely that it sticks to it like adhesive. The membrane of the virus then fuses with the membrane of the cell, spilling the RNA contents into the interior of the lung cell. The virus is in.
Can the collective consciousness of people prevent a virus from attaching itself onto ACE-2?
Simple answer: No.
According to several organisations, including the World Health Organisation and Harvard University’s Health Lab have said that only the following things will prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The following actions help prevent the spread of COVID-19, as well as other coronaviruses and influenza:
· Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
· Stay home when you are sick.
· Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
In fact, the Government of India has been even more strict about the lockdown, calling for everyone to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary. Police officials have been patrolling the streets day and night and catching people who are violating the lockdown rules.
Currently, India has recorded 2,567 COVID-19-positive cases with 72 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins tracker. The Health Ministry, however, has recorded 2,301 cases.
