The rise in medical waste and its collection without adhering to safety protocols could also trigger a surge in virus cases The sharp rise in biomedical waste, including discarded masks and gloves collected from covid-19 containment zones, is risking the lives of thousands of sanitation workers who work for little pay and often without any protection or training to handle such hazardous material.
Large amounts of disposable masks, gloves and other medical waste have been making their way to regular garbage piles across cities, posing a major challenge for civic authorities in charge of its collection and disposal.