Srinagar, Mar 12 (KNO): At a time when the deadly disease—Coronavirus has plunged entire J&K into panic and worry, people across Kashmir especially Srinagar have stopped eating Chinese dishes available in the city restaurants amid fears that Chinese foods may carry Covid-19. This has happened despite experts clarifying that “Chinese foods available in Srinagar restaurants doesn’t carry the disease.”
According to wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), youth are searching on the global search engine—“Google” whether the Chinese foods carry the disease that has taken the entire world by a storm. The frequent searches Kashmir’s educated class is involved in at present is—“does Chinse foods carry Coronavirus”
It may sound funny, but true is the fact that a large section of youth are presently busy searching on the Google, whether eating Chinese dishes like Chicken Fried Rice, Garlic Chicken, Chowmin, noodles, Chicken Manchurian carry Covid-19.
“I thought to clear whether Chinese foods also carry the virus. There is still a doubt, though doctors in Kashmir have ruled out it completely. But we have decided to stay away from Chinese food for some time,” said Aijaz Rasool, a student at Kite Polytechnic Institute Srinagar.
Like Aijaz, there are many youth, who at present are busy searching whether Chinese food can carry Covid-19. An employee at Samci restaurant in the heart of city centre, said that since the panic created by the Covic-19 disease, there are hardly any customer who order for Chinese foods. “They are instead demanding traditional wazwan. Orders for Chinese food has drastically gone down,” he said.
The situation is quite similar at other restaurants known for selling Chinese food that include Mummy please, Linz, Tao Café, De-Linz etc. Imtiyaz Ahmed, chef at one of these restaurants told KNO that there is a considerable dip in the order as far as Chinese items are concerned. “I have also changed the menu. Instead of preparing Chicken Manchurian which was high in demand till January this year, I prepare wazwan dishes,” he said.
An expert at SKIMS, Soura told KNO that there is no evidence that foods carry Caronavirus. “So far it’s all about human to human contact. But if people of Kashmir have stopped Chinese dishes for some time, let it be,” he said, wishing not to named. China’s Wuhan province has been the epicenter of deadly Caronavirus which has claimed over 4500 lives so far across the globe besides leaving some 1.5 lakh people infected, who are now improving after being quarantined. So far Kashmir is Covid-19 free even though a woman had tested positive in Jammu while as Ladakh reported three positive cases so far—(KNO)