Surviving in the time of COVID-19

Thsikichum Sangtam *

Coronavirus which emerged from the city of Wuhan the Hubai provinces of china has been named by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as COVID-19 the global pandemic became one of the most tragic global health crises in the history of mankind after world war-II.

The pandemic has spread worldwide bringing the entire globe into confusion, chaos and suffering. Almost every nation has been affected by this pandemic causing the loss of many innocent lives affecting the entire global economy.

The outbreak of the deadly global health crisis led many countries to go for complete lockdown to avoid further spread of the deadly virus. No doubt sudden lockdown due to the COVID-19 has brought many lives of the people specially the daily wage earners left without job, money and food; made homeless compelled to migrate as health workers, doctors’, nurses have been risking their own lives to save people from this deadly virus.

Therefore, considering the gravity of the pandemic every individual also needs to play an equally important role with utmost responsibility to combat this deadly virus from further spreading.

However recent emergence of panic buying in the state where people were seeing gathered in a crowd without maintaining the social distance prompted us to question as to how people are so irresponsible. As the COVID-19 being considered as a virus transmitted from human to human contact, such type of absolutely careless and irresponsible behavior raises the risk of explosion of the virus in the state .

A single person’s irresponsible actions may bring the lives of the entire community into the danger. It is very surprising to note that highly educated people with high status in society, even so-called ‘Holy’ people, seem to have been ignoring the government instructions and orders.

The guidelines that have been provided by WHO such as maintaining social distance, avoiding mass gathering should be strictly being put into practice.

When the entire community is strictly adhering to government order of 21 days lockdown of the country by quarantining themselves in the home; such practices going on in the state where people were seeing violating the precautionary measures.

Rampant gathering in the market, panic buying the essential commodities is very dangerous and harmful to society. We as an individual must take serious concern over the ongoing outbreak by following the lockdown called by the government. Good amount of evidence of violations of the precautionary measures of the COVID -19 by people made us wonder about their childish behavior.

Prevention is better than cure. As before the situation goes out of the hands and turns absolutely hostile we must wake up from deep slumber. Nizamuddin in Delhi has now become a hotspot of COVID-19 infection.

2000 people were gathered at one Islamic congregation organized at the Markaaz or the international headquarters of Tablighi Jamaat (an islamic organization) without having any concern about their own safety and the safety of others.

It is learned that those who were part of that convention were highly educated people however, the number of participants in gathering has become what many call a ‘SuperSpreader’, leaving a trail of infection and death from Kashmir to the Andamans.

As a result of that gathering hundreds of Covid-19 infected people have suddenly cropped up which not only threatened government machinery which has been working day and night to battle the corona pandemic but also the common people of India who are also fighting an epic battle against virus from their homes. Such people who brought health, safety and life of the entire country in the danger zone must be dealt with the harshest possible way within the legal system of India.

Social distance as a non-pharmaceutical infection prevention and control intervention to avoid contact between those who are infected with a disease causing pathogen and those who are not, so as to stop or slow down the rate and extent of disease transmission in a community. Proper practice of this directive will help to reduce further spread of the virus.

It is better to stop our irresponsible acts to combat the deadly virus than to see the thousands of lives fall from this outbreak. Many of us are under complete lockdown, quarantining ourselves in the home yet such mindless, cruel, inhuman actions of some people and communities which has already nicely facilitated spread of pandemic compel us to worry about what it might mean for ourselves and our loved ones.

A campaign, ‘Together At Home’ should be sincerely called for action to support the fight against COVID-19. Current outbreak of the pandemic is a serious issue in the world today. Many governments, organizations, Non-governmental organisations and concerned citizens have been courageously stepping out bravely to fight to contain the virus from further spreading.

Individuals at the same time must also play a vital role by adhering the directives of lockdown called by the government. As many normal lives have been affected by this outbreak, especially the daily wage earners, poor people, homeless people, beggars have been the first and direct victims of it. We cannot ignore them thinking that they are habitual to such situations. No it is not true.

Poverty is something different and the inhuman situation in which they have been trapped due to ‘lockdown’ where they have no access to food-water-shelter and sanitation facilities is different. I and you are sheltering ourselves comfortably within the walls of our houses.

Many of us are having air-conditioners in our houses with kitchens full of food, snacks and drinks and who knows- cupboards full of Bundle of currency notes. We are safe and secured. Hundreds of daily laborers in Dimapur who contributed a lot to make our lives better and comfortable are on streets now, if we are not going to help them then who will?

By following government instructions and orders, by following & respecting 144 CrPc, by protecting ourselves properly with glasses, masks, hand gloves, cap and full sleeve shirt and trousers we can still help those poor, destitutes, stranded people suffering in inhuman conditions at Dimapur railway station, adjacent areas, stadium and other parts of Dimapur through proper government channels.

Our helpless friends on the streets need food, not money, my friends. They need water, not money, my friends. They need care, compassion and a bit of love, not money my friends.

It is time for You and I to work for humanity by sharing our love to the needy people who can’t afford to survive. Happiness is found in helping others. Service to the needy is worship to God. Do not let helpless people die. They need life, NOT money my friends.