Swine flu: City full of masked men

Hyderabad: Many villages and towns apart from the twin cities have been suddenly besieged by “masked people” of late. No, they are not members of any criminal gang planning to commit a robbery but ordinary people trying to protect themselves from the deadly swine flu virus!

As the swine flu began to steadily grow into an epidemic, what with reports of increasing number of patients rushing to hospitals and also the reported deaths of some of the affected persons, it has set the alarm bells ringing among the people not only in the twin cities but also in adjoining villages and towns.

Following massive propaganda, though belated, launched by the State administration about the precautions to be taken, panic-stricken people seem to have decided to put them into practice.

The easiest and simplest precautionary measure obviously is to cover faces with masks, especially when they move round in crowded public places.

Thus people - young and old alike besides children - are now seen moving about with their faces covered with masks.

Students and teachers in schools and colleges, medical staff including nurses and doctors, office-going employees, street vendors and many other commoners are seen wearing masks and going about their daily routine chores.

Even bus, rail and air passengers too are wearing masks while travelling. With more number of people preferring to wear masks rather than get affected by the virus in public places, there seems to be a sudden spurt in the demand for masks.

This resulted in some enterprising petty vendors now selling masks at all public places like bus and railway stations, near shopping malls and markets, cinema theatres, etc.

Masked people are seen everywhere in twin cities and in the neighbouring villages and towns.