After wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and drinking the staple 'kadha', a new anti-coronavirus item has arrived in the market and people are flocking to buy it. This is the Covid-19 'shut-out' card that looks like a small ID, which is to be worn around the neck.

The card claims that it wards off the virus and if a person wears the card around his neck, he/she can stay safe in the pandemic. The card is priced between Rs 200 and 400, depending on the 'quality'.

"The cards are being sold in large numbers because people feel it is the easiest way to ward off the virus. The cards that we are selling have a three-month expiry date," said Ravi Krishna, a salesman at a medical shop in Luckow's Narhi area. The cards are also available on e-commerce website and are priced at around Rs 60 with an expiry date of 30 days.

Medical practitioners have, however, rubbished the claims made by companies manufacturing these cards. "This is nothing but a major fraud and the government should step in to check this. No such card can prevent Covid and customers are being duped," said R.K. Sinha, a medical practitioner.

He said that the virus removal card concept is based on 'air purifiers' that can clear the air from agents that cause respiratory problems but it cannot kill viruses, he added. Sinha further explained that the "virus-removing cards contain chlorine oxide, which is effective on surfaces but it is very harmful on the respiratory system". "It can lead to severe respiratory and eye irritations and skin burns because it is very corrosive."