There are several risks, including exposing yourself and others to the virus if you undertake train travel at this time.
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Across India, cases have emerged of people who have traveled on the same train as a COVID-19 patient. In some instances, many have broken mandatory quarantine protocols and have put others at risk by traveling on trains. On Saturday, for example, a couple was deboarded from train no. 22691 KSR Bengaluru City - Delhi Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express by the passengers and the travelling ticket examiner (TTE) at the Kazipet railway station in Telangana. The passengers and TTE had found the home quarantine stamps which the couple was trying to hide, and made them disembark from the train, after which state authorities quarantined them at a facility in Hyderabad. The question arises – how safe is it to travel on trains during a contagious pandemic? And what are the risks if you are traveling on the train? Experts have been saying time and again that all non-essential travel should not be undertaken right now. The reasons are twofold – not only are you at risk of contracting the virus from someone, you could also be exposing them if you are sick. Further, even if one does not have symptoms, they could be carriers of the virus, meaning they could potentially pass it on to someone else. We know that the SARS-CoV2 spreads primarily from breathing in droplets from someone who is affected, especially if they cough or sneeze. So, proximity becomes important; and this is also why global authorities like the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recommended social distancing. Being in close contact – defined by the UK's National Health Service as being within two metres of an infected person for over 15 minutes – which usually happens in public transport, increases the risk of someone spreading and contracting the disease. Apart from this, COVID-19 can also spread from coming in contact with the surfaces touched by an infected person. The novel coronavirus is estimated to survive up to two to three days on surfaces like plastic and stainless steel, up to a day on cardboard, and up to four hours on copper. While there is still a lot to learn about this new virus, and though authorities have taken up sanitization of public transport in more stringent ways, it is still a risk that you take when you travel on trains, buses and the like. Therefore, while it is inconvenient, it is advisable to avoid travel to keep yourself and others around you safe from the coronavirus disease. It would be especially irresponsible to undertake further travel, including by train, and put others at risk when you have a travel history to a COVID-19 affected country. In Telangana, for instance, seven people – all Indonesians – tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. They had all been traveling on the same train as the fifth COVID-19 positive patient in the state, also an Indonesian national. He had traveled in coach S9 of the Andhra Pradesh Sampark Kranti (train no 12708) on March 13. A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan who was in the same coach has been in isolation. In another incident, on March 16, four passengers traveled on the Godan Express (train no. 11055 from Mumbai to Jabalpur) despite the fact that they were supposed to be in home quarantine. The Dubai returnees later tested positive for COVID-19. Also read: Should you travel within the country? Experts say no
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