Coronavirus: When Tiruppur youths came in contact with 'COVID-19 patient'

Five youths on two motorcycles are intercepted by a police patrol team in the knitwear hub of Tiruppur for not wearing masks. Two members of the patrol team ask them why they stepped out of their homes without wearing masks. Their reply is not convincing.

What happened next is unimaginable. All the five, run helter-skelter when they are taken to an ambulance and asked to get into the vehicle, where a 'COVID-19 patient' was sleeping on a stretcher.

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For the next two minutes, the youth, now inside the vehicle, try every possible way to sneak out of the vehicle. They run, cry, make noise, and even beg that they be left out.

Except for the 'COVID-19 patient', everything else is real. These scenes are from an awareness video released by the Tiruppur district police on the need to wear masks and how scared people are if they are brought near a COVID-19 patient.

As the video went viral, some social media users took strong objection to the use of a “COVID-19 patient” which they said would further stigmatise those infected with the virus. However, Tiruppur district Superintendent of Police Disha Mittal said the video should not be looked at from the angle of stigmatising a COVID-19 patient.

“Our intention was not to stigmatise anyone. We just wanted to drive home the point that people run Helter Skelter when they face reality. The intention was to tell people how communicable and highly infectious Coronavirus is,” she told DH.

She added that the video has a disclaimer and a policewoman who appears on it makes it clear that the person, who “acted” as COVID-19 patient, is not infected with any virus.

“The video was shot to tell people how a person can contract the virus without him knowing that he is coming in contact with the source. Do not look this from the angle of stigmatising a patient. We are only driving the home the point that people should take care of themselves,” Disha Mittal said.

After a few minutes into the video, a policewoman emerges and explains why such a video was shot. She clarifies that the person who “acted as COVID-19 patient” is normal and does not have any virus but agreed to act as one to create awareness among the masses.

“These youths were roaming on the roads and they did not give any valid reason for not wearing masks. And we made them board the ambulance to show them what will happen if they do not wear masks. The moment the youth came to know there was COVID-19 patient inside the vehicle, the way they reacted showed how scared people are but don’t understand the seriousness,” the policewoman explains.

She then goes onto explain how anyone can contract the virus by coming out unnecessarily and risk himself and others’ lives. “Please don’t come out. Even if you have any urgent work, come out only after wearing masks,” she says.