<p>India can avoid 72% of COVID-19 cases and 63% of COVID-19 deaths after lockdown by closing red-light areas of major cities, according to a new report by academicians from two of the world’s top medical schools.</p>.<p>Such a step could also delay the peak of the epidemic by another 17 days.</p>.<p>With India beginning to ease the lockdown, redlight areas, where commercial sex workers reside and work, could emerge as hotspots due to a combination of factors.</p>.<p>Carried out by the researchers at Yale School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School, the study shows if the red-light areas start operating, the disease will spread extremely quickly and infect a very high percentage of sex workers and customers.</p>.<p>The high transmission rate is due to the fact that social distancing is not possible in this business. Japan experienced a similar problem.</p>.<p>According to National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) estimates, there are close to 6,37,500 sex workers in India and nearly five lakh customers visit red-light areas on a daily basis.</p>.<p>The yet-to-be-peer reviewed study looks at the problems at red-light areas in five Indian cities four of which are in the COVID-19 red-zone and account for some of the largest red-light areas in the country with a large numbers of sex workers.</p>.<p>According to the study, if red-light areas remain closed even after lifting of the lockdown, there can be a delay in the peak of COVID-19 cases by up to 12 days in Mumbai, 17 days in New Delhi, 29 days in Pune, 30 days in Nagpur, and 36 days in Kolkata.</p>.<p>Further, it can reduce the cases by 21% in Mumbai, 27% in Pune, 31% in New Delhi, 56% in Nagpur, and 66% in Kolkata in a 45-day period. For the country, the figure stands at 72%</p>.<p>“We shared the findings with five state governments as well as Karnataka,” Sudhakar Nuti, co-author of the report from the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School told DH.</p>
<p>India can avoid 72% of COVID-19 cases and 63% of COVID-19 deaths after lockdown by closing red-light areas of major cities, according to a new report by academicians from two of the world’s top medical schools.</p>.<p>Such a step could also delay the peak of the epidemic by another 17 days.</p>.<p>With India beginning to ease the lockdown, redlight areas, where commercial sex workers reside and work, could emerge as hotspots due to a combination of factors.</p>.<p>Carried out by the researchers at Yale School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School, the study shows if the red-light areas start operating, the disease will spread extremely quickly and infect a very high percentage of sex workers and customers.</p>.<p>The high transmission rate is due to the fact that social distancing is not possible in this business. Japan experienced a similar problem.</p>.<p>According to National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) estimates, there are close to 6,37,500 sex workers in India and nearly five lakh customers visit red-light areas on a daily basis.</p>.<p>The yet-to-be-peer reviewed study looks at the problems at red-light areas in five Indian cities four of which are in the COVID-19 red-zone and account for some of the largest red-light areas in the country with a large numbers of sex workers.</p>.<p>According to the study, if red-light areas remain closed even after lifting of the lockdown, there can be a delay in the peak of COVID-19 cases by up to 12 days in Mumbai, 17 days in New Delhi, 29 days in Pune, 30 days in Nagpur, and 36 days in Kolkata.</p>.<p>Further, it can reduce the cases by 21% in Mumbai, 27% in Pune, 31% in New Delhi, 56% in Nagpur, and 66% in Kolkata in a 45-day period. For the country, the figure stands at 72%</p>.<p>“We shared the findings with five state governments as well as Karnataka,” Sudhakar Nuti, co-author of the report from the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School told DH.</p>
