Coronavirus: The World at a Standstill
By: Ashutosh Upadhyay
Tags: Panic, Corona, Coronoaandindia, Covid, Coronaviruses

Pandemic still not addressed properly

Amid the sudden outbreak of COVID’19 in the entire world, people are irrationally panicking due to the unusual concern of their health, wards and loved ones. The novel and contagious Coronavirus is spreading rapidly in our country because of its diversity and movements. COVID has already claimed innumerable lives and is not hinting to stop any soon. Almost 5.6k deaths and 150k suspect cases of Coronavirus have been registered throughout the world. In India, these statistics are pretty low but why to wait for viruses and social panic to spread for enforcing any crucial steps. The government needs to take some proper action to protect their citizens from this novelty. According to recent updates from the USA, President Trump has declared an emergency in order to fight Corona and deal with public panicking. In India, many states have already instructed to lockdown colleges, schools, offices and every other place with a larger gathering of people. But still, there are some states and institutions which are still not interested in taking any such steps and support our government in fighting COVID’19.

Fighting social panic among a class of people in India is tougher than fighting Coronavirus. The recent proof of this is the Delhi riots, where there was a lack of awareness amongst people taking part in protests and violence. Many videos with false claims of disinfectants and treatment of Coronavirus are going viral every now and then. In this regard, it is very important for the government to spread awareness in order to give a tough fight to rapidly spreading Coronavirus. The government also needs to request all states, private colleges, organisations and institutions to pause their workflow for a while till we get control over the situation. Places like metropolitan cities and capitals where there is a huge crowd whether in metro or locals or even at stations needs to be locked down immediately. Although, Coronavirus is not deadly for youths because of their supernatural immune system it is contagious. Many small children, infants and older people are very much prone to this virus. As of now, COVID’19 has claimed 2 lives in India and many more cases are being tested to positive at important places such as Mumbai, Nagpur, Chennai, Delhi and so forth. Demand for protecting assets such as N-95 masks, hand sanitizers and hand washes have risen suddenly. The Indian government is still not able to fulfil the demand and supply appropriate amounts of these protection assets in many parts of the country. Prescribed assets such as quality hand sanitizers and masks are still not available in many hospitals, market and pharmaceutical shops. One of the foremost reasons for this could be the oversupply of protection assets to our neighbour and not so beloved China. It’s better now than never, with this thought I would request our authorities to lockdown every place where movements are taking place and establish at least one quarantine in a particular district.

There are several safety measures, precautions and facts instructed by WHO that you need to know and practice in order to prevent infection from COVID’19. At colleges, institutions and universities, It is recommended to close off areas used by the ill persons and wait as long as practical before beginning cleaning and disinfection to minimize the potential for exposure to respiratory droplets. Always carry hand sanitizer and practice wearing masks at outside places. Wash your hands every now and then. Avoid any kind of contact from people who are virus suspected and maintain minimum possible contact with anyone. For students staying at hostels and PGs, Do not shake dirty laundry; this minimizes the possibility of dispersing virus through the air. Avoid using other utensils and belongings to avoid infection from Coronavirus. Do not panic and nourish transparency with your parents and caretakers. Household members should educate themselves about COVID-19 symptoms and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in homes. Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces daily in household common areas (e.g. tables, hard-backed chairs, doorknobs, light switches, remotes, handles, desks, toilets, sinks). If no gloves are used when handling dirty laundry, be sure to wash hands afterwards.

There are certain facts about coronavirus that one needs to know and spread awareness about at least among your contacts. For most people, the immediate risk of becoming seriously ill from the virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to below. Someone who has completed quarantine or has been released from isolation does not pose a risk of infection to other people. Fear and anxiety about COVID-19 can cause people to avoid or reject others even though they are not at risk of spreading the virus. With the havoc of coronavirus, a contagious disease all around, people in common seem to be scared of it. Do not pose handshake and hugs while greetings. In times of coronavirus, say yes to ‘Namaste’.