Dr Parvez Abdullah & Azra Mufti
There have been some alarming statements furnished by WHO lately regarding Covid 19, one such statement is that Covid 19 is going to be with us for a long time. Given the nature of this highly contagious disease, a Covid 19 hotspot in any part of the world is a potential threat to rest of the world. it is still in infancy in some of the African countries and as per the statement of AIIMS Director, India will see the peak of Covid 19 in June -July. Most of the states are churning out pseudo negatives given the nature of testing kits and most of the countries are facing problems of imported cases. In lieu of all these things, lockdown has been an only option lately. The world economies have shaken as a result of strict lockdown and countries are grappling with issues of unemployment and lower GDP. everything said and done, lockdowns and social distancing cannot continue for a longer period because they are just a preventive measure not an exact cure. Time has come to lift the lockdown in phased manner because huge losses have incurred and poverty has crippled the system badly.
Covid 19 is not the only concern India has, there are many more, one such concern is the road fatalities. According to the latest Road Accident Report, In year 2017, a whopping 1.47 lakh people died in road accidents in India, which equals the entire population of Shillong. Every year over a Lakh people die as a result of road accidents and those who get injured show statistically higher proportions. In year 2018, the number has been increased by 3500 people losing their lives due to road fatalities taking the number to 1.51 Lakh. The top three most affected states are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. About 1.5 million die of TB in India each year. Thousands die due to electrocution. Taking note of all these things, it is now imperative on our part to accept the things as they are and live with covid 19. If the economy worsens further, we would not be left with sufficient resources to fight this pandemic.
If we compare the situation with that of the first lockdown in March, the situation is better in terms of equipment and testing facilities. even hospitals are geared up for new cases that are funnelled in. The red zones should observe exclusive lockdown and the areas where the curve is slightly flattened should open in a phased manner with high degrees of precaution and hygiene. Individual effort is needed more to fight this deadly virus. People should take all the precautions that are laid by the respective governments to minimize the damage. A large section of people are facing income shocks and thousands have lost their jobs. working class are facing salary cuts. These cases can lead to more chances of bankruptcy and more Non Performing assets in banking sector. Tremendous amount of money and efforts are being invested into developing a vaccine, but that would be available in the coming year. we need to accept the fact that once the lockdown is lifted, the cases are going to spiral, especially in the densely populated areas. The domestic flights are supposed to resume shortly which means that people should take extra precautions while on board and at the airports. Overcrowding and jumbling will definitely mar the purpose of social distancing that we have been following lately. Personal hygiene, use of sanitizers and masks, social distancing should be followed even after the pandemic is over.
Social distancing should be strictly followed once the lockdown ends especially in workplaces, public transport and airports. Zoom meetings, skype calls and webinars can continue for the next few months till the curve gets flattened. Cambridge university has announced to go online till 2021 which should set an example for rest of the universities. Change is always gradual but in order to fight this pandemic, change has to take place especially in the mind-set of people. Our psychological compatibility with this pandemic will help us to overcome this pandemic with tougher conscience and attitude. We cannot pluck the future out of the crystal ball, because the future holds many surprises. Lockdown is definitely not the only option; it will make the matters worse. What we require is a well thought out and balanced approach to fight tooth and nail with covid 19. Things have definitely taken a dramatic turn in the past two months and air travel, workplace environment, public dealings are not going to remain the same post covid 19. An individual and collective approach is needed and most of all we need to empathize with the victims rather than singling them out or stigmatize them.
Dr Parvez Abdullah (Assistant Professor, BGSBU)
Azra Mufti (Author, Novelist)
