Editor,
One feels the COVID quarantine centers without the supply of immune boosters is like a kitchen without food. As per the findings so far, COVID-19 is fought only with our stronger “immune system” because as yet we have no appropriate treatment for the virus. Before we go to any battlefield, we must be well-armed first to fight our enemies. Right now, our enemy is the Wuhan virus. We have no other weapon to kill the virus except for better immunity. So, merely keeping people in quarantine, who have been brought in on suspicion of being Covid-positive will make no sense if we do not consider helping them to build their immunity. Moreover, having been locked up in the quarantine centers, that too “away” from the comfort of home, may make some feel awfully lonely and depressed and consequently, they may further “lose” their immunity.
The outer environment usually plays a major role in our anatomy. Depression is inversely proportional to body immunity. Therefore, I urge upon the medical experts not to shut their eyes to this crucial factor as well.
Of course, there are various herbal preparations and alternative therapies that are recommended to raise the immune system, particularly in helping to cure respiratory sickness. Crushed powder of turmeric, ashwagandha, ginger, holy basil, black pepper… mixed with honey can work wonders. I don’t think they are expensive options. Inhalation of steam fortified with specific herbs has a highly “restorative” effect on the vulnerable lungs. Homeopathic medicine such as Arsenic Alb-30 is very much recommended to boost the resistance to the virus and it comes “extremely cheap.” 100 ML costing Rs 170 can be administered to a minimum of five thousand people. We cannot ignore the power of Yoga either. It can effectively enhance one’s immune system. I wonder why the government is not taking into account all such helpful and easy therapies.
Even in the west the alternative treatments are gaining popularity and are preferred options than the treatment by allopathic medicines which are fraught with side effects. The civilized countries are stretching out their limbs with rhythmic breaths based on yogic aphorisms. The principal objective of yoga is to “ward off diseases” and diseased thoughts. No wonder, many medical doctors, who truly choose to keep a distance from the side-effects of allopathic medicines, appreciate and opt for the herbal remedies and yoga.
God has never stuffed his natural herbal products with the sap that hurts our biology. While man-made chemical tablets and capsules may heal one part of a sick organ but slowly damage other vital organs. Ironically, a great German physician and researcher Samuel Hahnemann, who coined the term Allopathy, had detested allopathy, favoring the Homeopathic or natural remedies. He always insisted on increasing immunity.
Hence I earnestly feel, if the government can spend thousands of rupees per person at the quarantine and the COVID treatment centers, why not a few hundred more and provide all who test positive or negative with herbal immune boosters and introduce natural therapies as well. Just as they harp on wearing the mask, they should also harp on the importance of immune-boosting therapies. Come what may, we can’t afford to leave anything to chance at this juncture. Wuhan virus can easily catch us “unarmed” when the LAC is so porous, excuse the pun. So, let’s build up the “robust WALL” of immunity all along!
Yours etc.,
Salil Gewali,
Shillong
Another lockdown necessary?
Editor,
Apropos the letter of M. Hynniewta captioned, “West Bengal in Covid crisis”(ST July 18, 2020), perhaps Hynniewta is not aware of the fact that upon the advisory of Central Government India is presently in “unlock” mode (through phases) and West Bengal or Kolkata is also part of this very country! Also what had been imposed from July 9, is not “total lockdown” in Kolkata and suburbs; rather few “containment zones” had been earmarked comprising selected markets, residential complexes or homes. Otherwise there had been no official restriction in the whole city with all offices, business establishments, shopping malls wide open! So it is natural that in a highly populated city like Kolkata; traffic and pedestrians would be in full flow in the streets!
The reason why the lockdown was imposed nationally on March 25 was to prevent the spread of infection from human to human contact. Now with India in “unlocking” mode, people are all over the streets, markets, malls restaurants, sea beaches, river fronts etc. So obviously infection would also rise which is happening not only in Kolkata or West Bengal but all over the country with the fangs of the virus being deadliest in Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh to mention a few. Previously unaffected Sikkim is also registering a significant jump in the number of infections since the past few weeks! With infection surpassing the million mark and death count exceeding 26,000 the whole country is hit by the Covid crisis.
With India getting more “unlocked” in the coming days the number of infections and deaths are bound to inflate at a dreadful rate. However, there is no doubt that the general public is showing the least sense of responsibility. While many persons are seen sporting masks around the neck or forehead; almost everywhere physical distancing has come to naught either due to callousness or compulsion (due to overcrowding in depleted number of buses)! Perhaps due to lack of adequate manpower, the offenders are rarely booked for fiddling with their masks! And this is the picture not only in West Bengal; but also in say Delhi Mumbai Bangalore Jabalpur and the cities of USA and around the world!
So what is the solution in India? The only avenue that remains is re-imposition of national lockdown unless the graph of infection registers significant dip with only the amenities providing essential services rendered open. Strict punishment is required to be meted to those who don’t maintain protocols. As for the poorest of the poor, street hawkers or wage earners who would lose their income and thereby starve due to stringent lockdown; the Central government should release it’s purse. Instead of squandering billions and billions of precious money upon gigantic statues, mass Yoga, temples, Hindi “promotion” or VISTA PROJECT(new capital complex in Delhi); it should be utilised for meeting the basic essential humanitarian needs of the poor during this present crisis.
Yours etc.,
Kajal Chatterjee,
Via email