Ugly side of COVID 19 and beautiful side of diverse India, 21 day lock down is indeed a thoughtless measure

I am not venturing to write even a single line about COVID 19 because anywhere and everywhere we hear, get to hear or are forced to hear only about COVID 19.

Most people by now becomes either scientist or well versed virologist, community health expert, experts who know may thing about epidemic, specialized epidemiologists, medical strategist etc. 

The sudden emergence of AYUSH vaidya with renewed energy and validity to address Corona spread through their recipe is also taking place in this part of India, Tamil Nadu. 

Should we call all such gestures displayed by people in the aftermath of COVID 19 as awareness or are programmed Robots and the software about COVID 19 is updated on hourly basis by our electronic media that spew nothing but COVID 19. 

Unfortunately no one either notice or willing to speak a single word about how such constant spewing of COVID19 by our electronic media too can infect and affect Indians if not medically, certainly at mind level? 

Alas, still we, the several (believed to be) uninfected COVID 19 virus citizens of India are alive to live rest of our life to caricature and exaggerate COVID 19 more than what it deserves to our next generation as some bedtime story. 

Therefore writing about what is COVID 19, the electron microscopic structure, immunogenicity; invasion mechanism etc. will not make any sense or interest to the reader. 

Let COVID 19 be ugly, clumsy, grotesque, notorious or villain.  Let us know a little about India that we live first then let us take or sickle or hammer to fight corona.   The India that we live is incredible, quite beautiful, healthy and happy that rest of the world. 

From the spread of COVID 19 to reaching epidemic and pandemic proportion and certain deaths due to the virus are concerned, the virus is looking mostly the fearful people than the brave one; if we want say so in humorous sense. 

When compared to people of EU countries and US, Indian are quite brave; least concerned about many health issues, have least awareness, poor living conditions, multi-various basic problems, all the above cascade of facts naturally makes them less scared, who knows, may have more immunity may be even against yet to emerge new pathogen. 

Many third world neglected diseases like Dengue, Chikungunya, Malaria, Typhoid, several of intestinal worms, protozoan parasite infections, scabies, ticks and mites etc., are still prevalent in India.  To which pathogen an average Indian has not exposed to from birth to his or her death is impossible to say.  If we look at it from health awareness index per se and other abundant problems that plague millions and millions of people in India, Corona has lots to fear about Indians than Indians. 

Considering the paediatric and geriatric risk group population to Corona and India being a country of relatively young as on date, Government of India should have seen the beautiful side of India; diversity, demography and diligence of people first. 

Sensitization measures, use of mask, hand wash and social distancing etc., should have been the first step than lock down India for 21 days.

Two research reports, one supported by ICMR and DST and done by ICGEB https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.21.001586 and one appeared in Lancet suggests the possibility  that COVID19 has been blown out of proportion and credited with the ‘worst killer’ of humanity title.

Giving such recognition to any pathogen that spreads fast is not bad but taking draconian measure without any ground level preparation in a country like India is ridiculous.  The ICGEB study has indicated that Indians are relatively more resistant to Corona than may be the population in EU or US, based on the genetic and sequencing study of the virus by the above group. 

India is quite sensitive and aware of social distancing norm from pre-historic times.  Chickenpox is the best example.  Even in remote village, if some member in a house was affected by Chickenpox, the house used to keep neem leaf in the front porch of the house to indicate to others in the village to avoid the house.  Sensitizing people about social distancing and how important such measure is to prevent the spread should have been the first step and not destroying India’s economy, livelihood of millions and millions of people, push poor people to street for food and water, force to defeat the value of social distancing. 

Either our Government is totally insensitive or extremely sensitive and have never adopted middle path, applied its mind considering the ground reality of people, finally mess up everything.  The lock down of India for 21 days has brought disastrous consequences to our economy, livelihood and life of several Indians. 

When we get scared of COVID 19, we fail to appreciate the beautiful side of India and taking advantage of such situation, sensible measures could have been taken initially and subsequently would have involved all the state Chief Ministers and other local level administrators, NGO’s, private companies, religious groups, community health workers etc.,  than paralyzing India to solve the problem. 

It is not just the intent that is always appreciated but the method by which a measures is taken because what matters the people is the method of implementation and not the intent or the end goal. 

In a humorous sense, when COVID 19 is looking for scared people to attack, we are scaring our people with the intent that only through scaring and fearing we can sensitize people. 

Everyone knows it is their life, why even a cell in our body knows the value of life and hence creating awareness about social distancing without distancing people from their life and livelihood should have been the best method than shut down India for 21 days.