MANTRA FOR TRANSPORT SECTOR POST-CORONAVIRUS LANDSCAPE- SAFETY, HEALTH, & HYGIENE WILL GENERATE BRAND & VALUE

Current Shock: -

Coronavirus pandemic is impacting millions of people around the globe. The travel & tourism business especially is on its knees worldwide. Country borders are sealed. Cities are at stand-still. Flights are grounded. Cruise ships are docked in harbors. Trains are stationary. Buses are not plying. No one knows when the fury of the virus will abate; no vaccine is in sight; people are cloistered in their homes. Social distancing is the new mantra. Masks and gloves are the new safety accoutrements.

Future Shock: -

Countries border may not open for all for some time. Some countries that are impacted with large number of Corona may not have many takers for tourism in near future. Business Travel & International sports will decrease significantly. MICE market and mega events will become less attractive. Group, Religious Tourism, Socials, Marriages, Senior Citizens and leisure travel will shrink. Cruises especially may be shunned for while after nightmare struck at Diamond Princess. 

FEAR FACTOR: - "Loss of control is always the source of Fear but also source of CHANGE"

Industry :- AVIATION

Coronavirus could cost airlines USD 314 bn revenue loss in 2020. Some large Airline operators will be heading for and seeking bankruptcy protection.

Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH) doubles loss guidance on tourism from Rs 5 lakh crore to Rs 10 lakh crore in meeting with EG-6. This value covers the whole tourism value chain across airlines, travel agents, hotels, tour operators, tourism destinations restaurants, tourist transporters, tourist guides etc. These are across all the segments of tourism be it leisure ( inbound, outbound, domestic) or corporate travel, heritage, adventure, meetings incentives, exhibitions and events, religious and spiritual tourism and in upcoming high value niche tourism products such as sea and river cruises, camping, rafting, golf film to ..

Industry :- SHIPPING

The slump in demand for goods from China having a ripple effect on everything from container ships to oil tankers. Whereas Cruise ships have become floating dungeons where the unlucky have been confined – ideal incubators of infectious diseases. Between cruise operators’ disastrous pandemic response and the economic effects of the pandemic, the future of the cruise industry is uncertain. Cruise operators are no doubt wondering when – or if - passengers will return. 

• For many tourists, cruises are the ideal vacation – a chance to see the world with limited hassle and unlimited buffets. But, as Covid-19 has emphasized, in addition to convenience and luxury, cruises also provide a golden opportunity to get sick. Even in the absence of a global pandemic, cruise ships are ideal incubators of infectious diseases.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigate about 13 outbreaks of gastrointestinal bugs like E coli and norovirus aboard cruise ships a year; influenza and chickenpox are also fairly common. Last May, measles broke out aboard a Scientology cruise. 

FEAR OF PASSENGER :- Suspicion of fellow passenger, coughing and sneezing will highlight suspicion on multiple fronts, over a prolonged period of time to abate, and be totally dispelled. Actually, suspicion leads to fear. Till then travel & tourism are literally in the doghouse and inextricably linked to the return of normalcy, that too soonest. Other factors of fear.

Further, The World Travel and Tourism Council has estimated that 75 million jobs in the industry are at risk worldwide.

PRESCRIPTION :-

3 key vaccination for Transport sector and uplifting confidence of passengers, revival of brand and Good value for good money will be the new mantra.

1. Safety and Security :- Creating confidence of passengers that they are safe and secure on the moving platform should be of top most priority. Confidence and Fear are co related. Fear can be tackled by setting up example of having clean spaces, rooms, dinning, aisle, washrooms, seating or gathering area etc. Message to every passenger should be loud and clear that people checked on board are healthy with high immunity.

1. Health or Immunity passport have been compared to international certificates of vaccination, such as the “Carte Jaune” for yellow fever. This new health document will gain attention as a means to slowly and safely get things back to “normal”; or what we will consider normal post-COVID-19. An international health or immunity passport issued to people would help to eliminate or limit the damage caused by freedom of movement restrictions. Coronapass.org are offering the technology solution to validate the CoronaPass on a global basis and can be configured in multiple languages. This will be digital encrypted mobile pass. The immunity passport will have an important economic impact on tourism, air transport and many other industries. Rather than staying paralysed in the face of general, indiscriminate confinement, businesses and organisations can regain operational status by sending personnel who have been identified as immune through any type of testing back to their posts. Hence to built up the confidence of passengers, getting immunity information of every individual will be paramount. The check of health passport cab be conducted at the time of issue of VISA or at immigration or during Boarding. This is the first level for uplifting the belief in travelers that the fellow passenger is healthy and not infected with any type of diseases of past.

2. Heath: - There are lots of uncertainties and unanswered questions around immunity passports and debates around the efficacy and need for the same will continue. Hence till then one needs to gear up the business. One needs to redefine Standard operating procedures with stringent health screening. Recently, Emirates Airline had conducted the first rapid Covid-19 blood tests on airline passengers in mid-April before they flew to Tunisia. Enhanced health care measures will, of course, be important. Stringent Monitoring and Quarantine arrangements will be required to be set in routine practice. 

Photonic Exhaled Breath Analyzer for Rapid Test. :-

• Inhale, Exhale and Repeat it is that simple to test a individual in shortest time. A single beam of light can monitor, detect, weigh, record behavior, movement, force, acceleration, position of Particles in Air like Aerosol & Gases or Biological Pollutants like Bacteria or Virus. Inhale,
• A single beam of light can monitor, detect, weigh, record behavior, movement, force, acceleration, position of Particles in Air like Aerosol & Gases or Biological Pollutants like Bacteria or Virus.
• Determination of size and molecular weight is possible by CATS photonic systems to measure when the particles or molecules under investigation are small enough and their concentration is sufficiently low. 
• Dr. T is a unique mask design for early stage diagnostic of prescribed diseases. Dr. T, is composed of photonic sensor arrays with pattern recognition algorithms, presents several advantages compared to other types of analyzing equipment with respect to portability and cost effectiveness for hand-held breath analysis devices.

?Dr. T can be placed at point of safe to monitor mass scale of people or crowd. Dr. T. is integrated with networks permitting continues surveillance of Exhaled breath Analysis. Dr. T sends collected information to the Mobile app.

?The measured results upto PPB are transmitted to Big Data over the internet or offline server for further processing. Analysis of the concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or Virus in breath with an acceptable accuracy are assessed by means of using analytical techniques with high sensitivity, accuracy, precision, low response time, and low detection limit, which are desirable characteristics for the detection of VOCs or Virus in human breath. 

?Accurate detection of specific VOCs, / Virus in exhaled breath, known as biomarkers or breath fingerprinting, can provide essential information for the diagnosis of specific disease. Hence rapid testing is possible.

For on board detection a simple to use wearable mask is devised. Dr. T is Lightweight Well-Balanced Design, Ready to Use with Adjustable Head Cradle, Easy to Fasten Neck Straps & Maintenance-Free & Reusable.

This mechanism will support to counter and combat community acquired infection of past, current diseases and also be future ready.

3. Hygiene :- Beyond health care, there could be a further sea change ahead required by transport sector. For ex. self-service buffet could soon be a thing of a past — replaced by crew-manned serving stations and table service. Hospital-level sanitation standards and digital cleaning systems will be required to be implemented. In addition to this, area of public gathering, rooms, passages, aisle, seating coach, etc will be required to maintain clean air. Hence Clean room standards are also required to be considered. Air borne diseases, virus, bacteria as well as Gases that can be detrimental to human health are required to be continued monitored. Online Monitoring of every nook and corner of space is required.

AUM (Air Quality-Unique Monitoring): - Currently, the bacteria in air / surface that are vulnerable are not identified in –situ (live). Generally it takes anything between 24-72 hours to identify a particular bacteria or Fungi. Swaps of microbial / spices are taken to Microbiologist lab and then identification are done. AUM identifies Microbial that provide:-

• Real time / in situ identification with higher accuracy & Validated Bacterial and Fungal library.
• No Retesting required and hence saving in time and Reduced dependence on outside service. 

A single AUM unit can cover sq. km's. of Area. It can crete a virtual dome of given area. Unlike current sampling methods, AUM as a system is naturally amenable with very high accuracy & reliability - Laser as a sensor can travel to the target whereas with most sensors the target has to be brought to the sensor.

Identifying Bacteria and Particulate Material in air and analyzing particular area wherein there is high concentration. All listed bacteria in air and any particle less than 1um in diameter is identified and classified. Monitoring air quality for gases and pollutants and their concentrations. Hygiene & Health is of high significance in places like kitchen where food is stored / cooked. Molds, Organic particulates or any particle less than 1um in diameter can be classified. 

Ducts are vulnerable to transmit diseases. Hence indoor air qulaity of Duct can be routinely monitored. Timely replacement of Hepa filters can also be alerted. Duct cleaning schedule can be precisely planned. 

AUM thereby determines the Air quality in a given area meter by meter. Depending upon identified space of contamination, appropriate fumigation or disinfection methods can incorporated. Post fumigation, the area will be scanned to determine if appropriate disinfection is carried out or not. This will further assists in right Thermal comfort as well as Ventilation effectiveness.

Viability Analysis:-

Conclusion.

The high level of maintaining Safety, Health and Hygiene comes at a cost, however, many wallets may be able to justify with Dr. T and AUM cost effective pricing policies in a post-coronavirus landscape.

Objective of creating confidence and make passengers fearless with these methodology can be successfully achieved. This will enable Transport sector to get on mainstream business faster but at same time safer.