‘Culture of namaste, caring for the aged at home may’ve helped against Covid’ | India News



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NEW YORK: Ingrained social distancing norms like people greeting each other with ‘Namaste’ in India may have provided more protection against the coronavirus, according to a US media report. The coronavirus has touched almost every country on earth, but its impact has seemed “capricious. Metropolises like New York, Paris and London have been devastated, while cities like Bangkok, Baghdad, New Delhi and Lagos have, so far, largely been spared ”, New York Times said in a report. The report cited interviews with infectious disease experts, health officials, epidemiologists and academics around the globe.
“Cultural factors, like the social distancing that is built into certain societies, may give some countries more protection,” epidemiologists said. “In Thailand and India, where virus numbers are relatively low, people greet each other at a distance, with palms joined together (namaste). In Japan and South Korea, people bow, they tended to wear face masks when feeling unwell, ”the report added. The report also noted that in much of the developing world, the custom of caring for the elderly at home leads to fewer nursing homes, which in the western nations have seen tragic outbreaks and high number of fatalities among the elderly.
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