Corona virus has caused about 33 million cases and one million deaths in the world. Daily incidence of cases and deaths has not only reached alarming levels but also threatens to rise further and further, The control measures adopted led to collapse of economy and education system. These resulted in suffering for billions of people and starvation for many millions. All these confirmed beyond any doubt that the control measures used were miserably inadequate and changing these is essential. For this, following preventive measures are suggested.

• Use a mask when out of the house or facing anyone coming to the house.
• Wash face with soap for at least 20 seconds, with special attention to washing nostrils and lips which are entry points of virus.
• Blow nostrils forcefully to throw out viruses.
• Gargle with hot salt water.
• These steps form repeated hurdles which viruses have to cross to remain in the body and do harm and will result in prevention of cases.

Advantages are:

• These do not do any harm,
• Do not need any equipments or supplies or payment for service and
• Second and third methods, and are easy because second step needs only less than half a minute and third step needs only 10 seconds, each time.

All that is needed to defeat corona virus is determination of everyone to regularly practice these methods daily. Then, all can rejoice that new cases have been prevented and lock down can be avoided for improving economy and education system.

These methods are based on mode of entry of viruses and need to prevent entry – an innovative approach. If scientists follow such innovative approaches they can contribute better to solve health problems. Some suggestive examples are given. Questionable vaccination has been exposed.

Corona virus has caused about 33 million cases and one million deaths in the world. What is more shocking, daily incidence of cases and deaths also has not only reached alarming levels but also threatens to rise further and further, The control measures adopted led to collapse of economy and education system. These resulted in suffering for billions of people and starvation for many millions. All these confirmed beyond any doubt that control measures in use were miserably inadequate and changing these is essential. Some experts also cautioned that there is an urgent need to revise strategies. For this, following preventive measures, which form repeated hurdles for viruses to remain in body, is suggested. These are based on scientific observation that corona viruses enter body through nose and mouth.

To prevent entry of viruses into body, use a mask properly when out of the house or facing anyone coming to the house because even apparently healthy (non-symptomatic) cases (who form majority of cases) can spread infection. One problem faced is that wearing a mask continuously for even two hours can produce discomfort and affect breathing pattern. Then, wearers sometimes pull mask down below nose. This defeats the purpose of wearing it. These people do not realise that failures in practicing this or any other preventive measures properly will expose them to infection which can lead to prolonged problems e.g., 14 days quarantine for self and all persons with whom they had contacts who are being trapped into this for no fault on their part. It can also lead to a disease which has no proper treatment and its spread to others which can result in many deaths. For example, some cases and deaths occurred even among health workers with protecting gear probably because they occasionally pulled down “mask” below nose. Always wearing mask properly is very important.

To remove viruses which managed to overcome first hurdle and just entered body because of lapses in wearing mask, wash face with soap for at least 20 seconds, with special attention to washing nostrils and lips which are entry points of virus. (One way to count time: after spreading soap on your face, place both hands on the front of your head and slowly bring these down 20 times, and smile & enjoy). Repeat at 3-hour intervals every day, starting at 9 AM. This will take less than half a minute only, on each occasion. As an extra precaution, washing hands also can be done while repeatedly washing face. This will help to prevent viruses going from hands to face.

To remove viruses which have managed to cross both hurdles and went deeper up to throat or wind pipe because of any lapse in wearing mask and washing face properly, keep one nostril closed and blow air as forcefully as you can through the other. Then keep the other nostril closed and blow air as forcefully as you can through the other. (Doing this alternately helps to blow with more force). Repeat 5 times through each nostril at 3-hour intervals every day, starting at 9 AM. These repeated forceful exhalations of air from lungs (blowing nose) will act on tiny viruses like repeated “cyclone storms” when these are in nose, throat or windpipe (or may be even upper part of lungs). Viruses (if present) will be thrown out during each of these forceful exhalations. An added benefit will be strengthening of lungs which will help in general and also if viruses reach lungs which are its main target. This effective method is very easy and takes about 10 seconds only on each occasion and should get highest priority. To prevent possibility of viruses being scattered all over, do the exhalations in a wash basin which, along with the door knob, should be repeatedly sanitised.

As an extra precaution (fourth hurdle), to tackle viruses which have crossed all three hurdles (very unlikely) and entered throat, gargle about 10 times with hot salt water. Viruses, if any, in mouth and throat will be thrown out with gargled water. Do this soon after coming back to the house and also before dinner. This will take only 2-3 minutes on each occasion.

A logical analysis will confirm that these methods deserve high priority because these provide repeated hurdles which viruses have to cross to remain in the body and do harm. This will result in prevention of cases.

Everyone living in hot spots or exposed to corona patients (e.g., doctors, nurses etc.) or living in highly congested areas in other parts of the country should practice second and third methods (which together take only half a minute) at hourly intervals starting soon after waking up and ending just before sleeping. This will also minimise night gap in practicing methods to sleeping time only.

All these prevent viruses from going deeper into body and causing damages because it is very unlikely that viruses can cross all these hurdles, unless people refuse to cooperate.

Sad to say, most people have not realised that this is a peoples’ war against corona virus. They have to regularly practice preventive methods every day. Governments’ primary role is to facilitate this by informing people about preventive methods. Next role of diagnosing and treating starts only when people fail to prevent getting infected, when they can. Everyone has to be always conscious of their responsibility and ensure their full continuous participation in the war even if they have to suffer temporary difficulties. Moreover, everyone has to be conscious that delays in practice of these preventive measures will enable viruses to go deeper into body and cause irreparable harm and strictly avoid delays.

Some people are complacent and do not accept necessity of these or any methods. The fact that majority of cases do not have symptoms and, though apparently healthy, can spread infection by a virus with strong damaging capacity is convincing enough for

• Accepting that risk is real and
• Systematically practicing all preventive measures
• Some advantages of these methods are
• These do not do any harm,
• Do not need any equipments or supplies or payment for service and
• Second and third methods, which are most effective in keeping viruses out of the body, are very easy because these together need half a minute only, each time.

All that is needed to defeat corona virus is determination of everyone to regularly practice these easy methods. Then, all can rejoice that new cases have been prevented and lock down can be avoided for improving economy and education system quickly. People can then be proud of all these praiseworthy achievements.

Lessons from this article

These methods are based on giving importance to mode of entry of viruses and on how to prevent this entry – an innovative approach which did not give importance to vaccination, diagnosis and treatment because prevention of cases makes these irrelevant. If scientists follow such innovative approaches they can contribute more to solve health problems.

For example, the very brief exposures when viruses remain in the body before being thrown out by the new methods may help to develop immunity against the viruses. This aspect deserves further study by scientists.

There are more disease agents which enter body through nose and/or month. It is important to investigate whether a daily habit of using the second and third methods, which together take only half a minute, can prevent their entry into the body and prevent disease.

Tuberculosis is a major global health problem caused mainly by entry of tubercle bacilli through the nose. The article has pointed out that years of research could not help to eradicate tuberculosis and emphasised on importance of innovative research [1]. It had also given suggestions for some possible innovative investigations. In addition to investigating these suggestions, the present article implies that whether daily practice of these new methods can help to prevent tuberculosis should be investigated with an open mind.

For example, because most children get infected before 14 years of age but develop only a primary focus of tuberculosis and get disease only later on, a group of children about 5 years from a high tuberculosis prevalence area can be selected and investigated as follows: Divide them randomly into two groups. One group should be asked to regularly use the second and third methods daily and the other group kept as a control group. These groups should be monitored strictly for sufficient number of years. At the end of each year, the children of both study and control groups should be investigated for evidence of primary focus. If significantly less number of children in study group has primary focus, it shows that the new methods can prevent infection. This finding will be a very important contribution to eradicating tuberculosis. On the negative side, scientists ought to seriously question the importance given to vaccination. It takes years (may be 10 years?) to develop a vaccine. Mass production of vaccine and vaccinating millions also take time. This means vaccination can prevent the disease only after many years and incidence of disease will continue unabated meanwhile. A sophisticated cold chain has to be set up if not present already. Whereas the new methods prevent immediately and do not need any money or elaborate organization, large amounts of money for developing a vaccine, a sophisticated cold chain and setting up an organization are needed to vaccinate people to prevent incidence of cases after a delay of many years only. Even this may be a complete loss if the organism mutates in a manner which will call for discarding the vaccine.

A serious problem is that scientists have to change their minds to avoid present type of research which has failed to give results and give priority to innovative methods (even if some of them may appear to be silly). This change is likely to take time unless special efforts are made.

I will not be surprised if some scientists scoff at the new methods suggested without trying these for 2 or 3 months with an open mind. Proverbs exhort: “It is better to try and fail than fail to try” and “Failures are stepping stones for success”. Successful scientists and inventors believed in this and boldly conducted experiments.