When one speaks of ‘Covid Warriors’ those who come to mind are the doctors, nurses, other hospital staff, policemen and even postmen. One would rarely think of a lifeguard posted at the beach as a Covid warrior. However, with tourists now thronging the beaches in large numbers, these lifeguards also face the added risk of getting infected by the virus while carrying out their duties. With no checks being carried out at the borders and the number of Covid positive cases increasing in states like Delhi, Karnataka and Maharashtra, there is every possibility of the tourists visiting the beaches being carriers of the virus. When a beach is crowded with people it could be very difficult for the lifeguards to keep a safe distance. If the lifeguards are called to rescue a person from drowning they run the risk of contracting the virus as they come in contact with the person while conducting the rescue operation and also while conducting CPR on the person. In these times of the pandemic, regular mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is a big ‘no’. The use of a Bag Valve Mask (BVM) is recommended which is a self-inflating resuscitation device that reduces the possibility of transmission of the virus. Given the risk lifeguards face during the pandemic, they are nothing less than Covid warriors as they carry on the task of saving lives from drowning.
