It is a war out there. Countries are gearing up to fight a powerful but invisible enemy and citizens have been alerted to follow the ‘war-time’ guidelines.
‘Corona’ is the star now, hogging limelight and making headlines. It is the common enemy that has created mayhem around the world, killing and weakening people and ridiculing governments and their shoddy healthcare policies. The virus is spreading fast, raising its intensity each day and with absolute contempt towards humanity.
SARS-CoV-2, the official name of the new virus, is the devil that has kept every government in the world on its toes. ‘No man’s an island’ did you say? Well, the virus proves it wrong and sends you to quarantine.
Though the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has rejected community transmission as the reason for spread of the virus in the country, local governments are taking measures depending on the severity of the outbreak in respective states to ensure social distancing. Even for panic-buying liquor for the upcoming solitude, one has to keep a metre’s distance from other buyers. Citizens are petrified as death toll around the globe rises.
But our Prime Minister, who addressed the nation on Thursday night, could barely allay fears. There was hardly anything in the speech about what the government is or will be doing. “I am here to ask something from you,” the PM said. What else? We gave you six precious years only to realise the folly.
His bhakts (followers) are already holding ‘medical’ camps where they are distributing cow urine as the most scientific and authentic prevention for COVID-19. Some bovine enthusiasts fell ill after drinking the ‘medicine’ but that is another issue.
Meanwhile, ICMR’s report on March 20 said 14,376 samples from 13,486 individuals were tested and 206 individuals confirmed positive among suspected cases.
SARS-CoV-2 is not the first to create such havoc. In 2014-16, there was an outbreak of Ebola in West Africa. The viral strain that caused it killed not less than 90 per cent of the infected people. The fatality rate of the new virus is comparatively low but it has the capability to intensify public healthcare crisis in no time. In fact, the novel virus has proved how hollow the promises of politicians are and what kind of attention the health sector has got from them. Even the developed countries are struggling to cope with the outbreak. One instance is that of Italy where the public healthcare system is crumbling under pressure. Reports said the country is letting its virus-affected senior citizens die.
With hygiene and sanitation almost nil in most of the government hospitals in India, the situation can be horrific beyond imagination if cases of infection increase.
The citizens’ sense of hygiene is also something one should be wary of. Though many have started the fight against corona with face masks ad sanitisers as the crucial weapons, majority of the population are yet to give up the habit of spitting. This is despite several notifications by authorities concerned on how COVID-19 spreads. Some states have banned spitting in public places, as if a constitutional right is being curtailed for an emergency. Thanks to corona our roads will be cleaner till a vaccine is found to end the viral strain.
But there is something more dangerous than spitting. Racism has not taken a beating even in this time of crisis. People from the North East are being taunted for their Mongoloid features. In cities like Delhi and Kolkata, several students from the region are being called “coronavirus”, either jokingly or in utmost ignorance, prompting Union Minister Kiren Rijiju to step in. Blame it on corona and not our instinct. “A crisis of this magnitude shows the real face of a society,” someone rightly observed.
So it is better to go into self-quarantine. “Not everything is bad about this quarantined life,” a person commented. “I can work from home, I have ample time to read, I can stay away from the pollution, my sleep cycle has improved and I can avoid people I hate to talk to,” she listed the positive effects.
That is one way of looking at it in this time of social distancing, which indeed has a pacifying effect. ‘Social’ gatherings only led to violence, rioting, lynching and choruses of ‘goli maro’ and ‘Bharat maata ki jai’. Better stay quarantined lest something more contagious than the virus afflict us.
One can also watch the several Hollywood movies which tell horrific stories of deadly viral infections (see box) and which you had rejected earlier thinking they were stupidly unrealistic fiction.
What is happening in the world now is definitely not fiction. It is as real as it can get. This is why individuals should respect the gravity of the problem and act responsibly. Running away from quarantine or hiding travel history can have fatal consequences and hinder governments’ measures. It is necessary that we follow guidelines and keep ourselves updated. Be smart, not over-smart. Stay safe and enjoy the restricted life.
Corona Caveat
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans. The most
recently discovered coronavirus causes COVID-19. This new virus and disease were unknown before the
outbreak began in Wuhan in December 2019
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are
fever, tiredness and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhoea. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms. Most people (about 80 per cent) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. People with fever, cough and difficulty in
breathing should seek medical attention
Antibiotics do not work against viruses, including the one causing COVID-19. Don’t go for self-medication
Incubation period means the time between catching the virus and beginning to have symptoms of the disease. Most estimates of the incubation period for COVID-19 range from 1-14 days, most commonly around five days
While there has been one instance of a dog being infected in Hong Kong, to date, there is no evidence that a dog, cat or any pet can transmit COVID-19. It is mainly spread through droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks
The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low
(Information from WHO website. Findings so far are subject to updates)
Virus on Screen
The Omega Man:
Biological warfare leads to plague that wipes out most of humanity in Charlton Heston’s 1971 film. It is considered a cult classic
Contagion: The 2011 film by Steven Soderbergh has uncanny similarities with the COVID-19 crisis. In the film too, the novel virus spreads from China
28 Days Later: The accidental release of a
contagious virus threatens to destroy civilisation in this 2002 post-apocalyptic horror film by Danny Boyle
12 Monkeys: The futuristic movie is inspired by Chris Marker’s La Jetée. Bruce Willis, playing a
prisoner James Cole, is sent back in time to help stop a virus outbreak
Outbreak: The plot of the 1995 virus outbreak film is realistic enough to get you scared
I am Legend: Will Smith’s 2007 post-apocalyptic movie is based on Richard Matheson’s novel. It makes its own changes, including seeing the virus’ origin as a cure for cancer gone wrong
Maggie: Action star Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in this 2015 film about a viral pandemic
Carriers: The 2009 film is about four friends fleeing a viral pandemic. They soon learn that they are more
dangerous than any virus
BLINDNESS: The 2008 film is about a society suffering an epidemic of blindness
VIRUS: The 2019 film shows how Kerala faces outbreak of life-threatening Nipah virus