Article on Social Distancing Need Of The Hour
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The onset of a new decade brought in its wake the COVID-19 pandemic that has put humanity across the globe in arguably the most uncertain times ever. Given the extremely contagious nature of the novel coronavirus that has already consumed lives in tens of thousands, in developed and developing countries alike, personal hygiene and social distancing are being aggressively propagated by governments, civil society and mass media to fight an enemy no one can see with the naked eye.
The invisible enemy infects people through a physical touch with any object that has been used by a COVID-19 infected person. Invariably, those objects that cause transmission of the infection could be unsuspectingly home and office utilities, the most common being water taps, soap dispensers, electric switches and switchboards, doorbells, etc.
As the pandemic reared its ugly head across geographies, the findings of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in March this year reveal that the dreaded COVID-19 virus is detectable for up to three hours in aerosols, up to four hours on copper objects, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel objects.
While the communications blitzkrieg launched on virus prevention is making people aware of how to sanitise objects of common use to stall the virus transmission, it is still not conclusively proved that such sanitisation is fool proof. As the pandemic cases spiral upwards at an alarming rate, it has become imperative for people to adopt and use touch-free gadgets at home and office that can be remotely operated.
Bengaluru-headquartered IFIHomes ( www.ifihomes.com), a smart living tech company serving widespread markets, has a bouquet of product offerings that are remotely-operated and proximity sensor-based.
The Ifihomes touch-free products that are cut-out for household and commercial establishments include:
● Sensor-operated water tap – that does not require any physical contact. This tap auto opens when there is any motion like the movement of hands in front of it and shuts when the motion stops. A conventional water tap can be replaced with the installation of the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) sensor-based kit in a matter of five minutes. What’s more, the unit is wireless, so the installation is easily done. Use of such touch-free taps in the hand wash area or the kitchen/pantry prevents any likely spread of the virus among people frequenting those places.
● Sensor-operated soap dispensers – While washing hands frequently is a good habit to have in these times, handling a soap dispenser that is touched by others can be a problem. A sensor-operated soap dispenser is a good option to have today. The sensor-operated soap dispenser gets activated when there is motion in front of it and releases a defined quantity of soap without one having to physically operate the utility.
● Motion-activated light/bulb – A conventional electric lights switchboard could be a storehouse of germs and viruses, especially if they are operated by multiple persons. Motion-activated lights/bulbs prevent the need for physically operating the switchboard to turn on / off the bulbs. Instead, motion-activated bulbs will get switched on as a person walks in after the ambient light goes down and turns off when a person leaves. This is a simple solution for lighting the entrance area, walkway, washroom or any passage. However, they may not be suitable for bedrooms and living rooms given that the lights will get switched on only when there is motion around them.