Desperate for oxygen, people with breathing difficulties sleep under peepal tree in UP's Shahjahanpur

People often take recourse to superstitions in times of crisis, believing that it will help them tide over difficulties.

An example of the same was seen in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahnpur district, about 175 kilometres from here, when several people, who had breathing difficulties and who were unable to get admitted to the hospitals, flocked to the 'peepal' (Ficus religiosa) trees to sleep under them.

The 'peepal' tree, which is also known as 'sacred fig', releases oxygen round-the-clock unlike many other plants, which release oxygen only during the day.

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Most of the plants uptake Carbon dioxide (CO₂) and release oxygen during the day through a process called photosynthesis and uptake oxygen and release CO₂ during the night through respiration.

Some plants such as the sacred fig uptake CO₂ during the night as well because of their ability to perform a type of photosynthesis called Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM). Experts, however, say that only a small amount of oxygen is released during the night.

According to reports, at least half a dozen people were seen sleeping under a 'peepal' tree at Tilahar area in the district on Friday night.

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Reports said that all of them had been having difficulty in breathing and that they tried to get admitted to the hospital without success. They tried to procure oxygen cylinders but did not succeed.

A crowd gathered near the peepal tree just to see these patients lying under the tree. Reports said that they had been sleeping under the tree for the past two days.

Though the peepal trees do play a crucial role in keeping the environment clean, it definitely can not replace the medical oxygen needed by the Covid-19 patients with breathing difficulties, doctors say.