Good morning everyone,
I really hope that all of you are doing well. And are healthy and calm during this Global Catastrophe of Corona Virus Pandemic. I wish you good health and safety for all of you and your families.
Whatever part of the world you stay in, please stay safe. Stay vigilant. Don’t Panic. Stay calm. But stay updated. Don’t turn a blind eye to safety measures.
If possible, do update me about the situation in your respective country. I keep worrying if you are safe.
It took a small particle-sized virus of around a few microns to tell us how we were going so wrong, at many levels and we need to go back to basics.
Officially a Global Pandemic now, Coronavirus outbreak has shook almost every country and all health administrations worldwide, without any discrimination. It refuses to be controlled as of now, till the last update. The new updates tell us that recently declared ‘free’ or cured people who were previously positive are now being tested positive all over again. That is, the virus is reinfecting. That means it doesn’t go from the system and stay inside our body, waiting for the right time (read low immunity) when it is conducive for it to grow again. This is a proposed theory right now. In short, we don’t know much about this novel virus. It is new to us.
Coming to India – The situation is like we are sitting on a ticking time bomb. It can blast at any moment. And stopping it is in OUR hands.
As of now, India, as a country of 1.3 billion people, has been doing good when it comes to containing a pandemic as contagious and as ruthless as Corona Virus. But no country, no authorities, no hospitals or doctors can do anything when they are not supported by the masses. We are limited in resources after all.
While the swiftness and diligence of Indian Govt. in taking steps to contain it and fight it are impressive, I am deeply disturbed by the callous approach of citizens of the country. How do you think we are able to stop this if we continue to do what we feel like?
We have to educate ourselves, take steps on a war footing, be on front foot and fight!! And the basic steps are not even difficult.
One of the most important things to do is SOCIAL DISTANCING –
All those who can, please please do this. Stay at home. Don’t go out unless emergency. Don’t attend lunches and dinners, no matter how important it is. Don’t eat out at restaurants. Avoid public parks, cinema halls (closed in many cities now) gyms, pools, wherever people collect in high numbers and close contact. It’s just a matter of a few weeks. PLEASE follow this.
Schools are closed in many states and so are places of recreation. And there is a reason to do so. The Govt. wants you NOT to collect in groups. That is why OFFICIAL orders of closure have been issued. That DOES NOT Mean that vacations have started and you roam around without any holds, like the way some people are doing it. Have some responsibility for the small kids and older people who you might be infecting and they might not be as strong as you to sustain the infection.
The image of a swarm of people at Juhu beach, Mumbai, taken yesterday is both alarming and depressing. How can people be so irresponsible? Please don’t do this. Stop yourself and others too.
Countries like Italy, Iran, Korea, Germany, Britain have one by one fallen victim to this virus. We don’t want to join them.
Just imagine, can we afford this situation in our country?? We are at high risk – High population, overcrowding, limited resources, overloaded hospitals and scarcity of doctors and paramedical staff… we are ON The Edge!!! Everything goes against us.
NOW, it is only ‘WE’ who can do something and avoid getting infected. It’s time to bunker in. Cook at home. No harm in saving some basic necessities, for around 2-3 weeks to stop going to supermarkets and malls. Stay isolated and avoid people.
Those who have to go to office and need to step out – Please follow WHO guidelines –
- Wash hands after touching metallic objects, using office loo and regularly (for around 30 seconds minimum and 1 min ideal ) following the standard protocol of hand washing.
- Do not touch your face, eyes, ear, mouth with your hands. Hands have fomites.
- Sanitise regularly when out of home.
- Do not shake hands with people, do not hug or step close to strangers.
- Sanitise phone screens, laptops, office desk, files and pens after exchanging it with others
- Stay at 1 m distance from everyone … EVERYONE… whether they are infected or not. There are many asymptomatic carriers and transmitters ( who have not affected themselves but can infect others, esp high rish individuals) You can be one of them too.
- Stay hydrated
- Self Quarantine in case of fever or flu like symptoms.
- Wear masks if you are sneezing or dropping nasal droplets
- Sneeze in the fold of your elbow or in a napkin
Go through the WHO site for further details about what to do and what not to do –
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
DO NOT GO OUT IF IT IS NOT NECESSARY!!!!
I repeat – DO NOT GO OUT IF IT IS NOT NECESSARY!!!!
The right time to take an action is NOW!!! India has ONLY 30 days before the pandemic shifts from Stage 2 to Stage 3. We are at stage 2 right now.
Let’s play an active role in being responsible citizens and cut down every route of transmission of this virus.
We can do this. We will fight it and survive!!!
Lots of love to all of you.
Stay blessed. Stay positive. And let me know how you are doing at your end. And if you have suggestions to get past this pandemic.
M.
We are safe di but getting worried about kids playing around
I don’t understand why people are choosing to still not take things seriously. It’s a major global issue. Where people can literally just sit back and relax, they want to wander around the streets. It’s like telling a kid not to do a certain thing and they get repulsive to do just that. There are so many things that one can seriously do by being at home!!!
Hello di
Ur concern is absolutely right but not everybody understands it.
People who we expect to understand this aren’t even listening. Every thing should be shut down right now so as to stop it right here but our college authorities tell us that even at the time of world war,medical colleges were open which does not make any sense. Many of them have been given an off as per govt orders but not all .the problem is we are not being of any help at the moment in treatment of corona infected people still they want us to attend classes despite of our college being the main centre for treatment of these patients n then they threaten us neither are u getting an attendance nor any internals.It wouldn’t have been an issue if we were of any help to combat the problem but Is this justified on their behalf that even after being at such a post they want us to be the medium for more risk of infection and spread of the same😓😓 .
No, even the medical colleges are closed. As far as I know. I’m not sure which college you are, but they are unnecessarily putting you at risk. It’s just a matter of 2-3 weeks
Di mostly are closed as recently even a dr at kgmu is tested positive. But ours is not closed(meerut)
They should ensure lockdown of places which are not of prime priority right now. Who will be responsible even if 1 junior doctor catches infection, which is very much a possibility as you are always around sensitive areas.
Exactly di
Hello… I am from india, Gujarat… We are fine here.. Till date no positive case… But Yes… People are highly irresponsible for even their own health… It is sad… Thanks for information…
Hi Manita! I appreciate your concern about COVID 19.
I stay at Hyderabad and I would like to share the situation here.
I am sorry to say the situation is similar as in Mumbai as people are using forced holidays to get their pending works done. I was shocked to know my maid went on leave to get some pending works done at her village.😠
The measures taken by the government will not yield results if we as citizens do not take responsibility. I think people should be educated with regards to the seriousness of the disease and measures should be taken to restrict travel unless very necessary . Infact, I strongly recommend all railway stations and bus depots be shut for some time to prevent the disease from spreading, coz people will not sit in one place doing nothing, rather use the situation to get together with their folks sadly.😔
When developed countries like Italy are unable to extend resources and facilities to their limited population, how can we as a country with huge population and limited resources put a check on this pandemic
I agree Prabha. I have been trying to educate as many people as I can that we need to curb the non-essential activities for some time. This is the most crucial step in breaking the chain.
As a country, we cannot handle an outbreak. Our resources are limited
Hey! Iam in Saudia Arabia in the city of Madinah government has taken stick rules schools,universities,shopping malls,flights and even offices but iam effected that now even mosques are closed except masjid nabwi and kabah rest of all in saudia is closed it is really depressing..
May Allah save us..(Ameen)
I understand, Aqsa. Please don’t be depressed. Take it as a temporary period, important for our lives. Slwoly, things will go back to being normal, as before.
Let’s be together in this catastrophe.
Hey Manita
I would like to have an advice from you. Like i said here the medical facilities are not available. Being a health care professional u mite b knowing the kind of treatment being given to the patients. Is there any way to treat ourselves if v r out of ”medical help”.
Here there is only one govt hospital which definitely cannot afford more than 50 people. Is there any medicines that v should stock for immediate help.
Like any other flu, isolaton, hydration and rest are the prime in the care. Only paracetamol is advised in case you have fever above 100 deg. DO NOT take ibuprofen or any other pain killer. Similarly, no antibiotics should be taken without a doctor prescribing it.
Cough syrups can be taken in case you have coughs. That’s all.
Once it aggravates, there is respiratory distress and there is no medicine that can be given to treat the patient at home.
Thank you so much Dii. I hope you are doing fine. It’s really critical situation and we all have to fight it together by being aware and take precautions. I hope all will be good soon. My office has been closed today and we all are doing work from home. Hopefully people will understand and will be at home as much as possible.
It’s good that your office has taken preventive measures. Those who can, should stay cautious.
Hope we break the chain and stop the spread soon.
Thank u so much for this note ❤ hope everything is fine and safe in ur place. In chennai, as of now nothing serious but I have this fear seeing all the news and my ofc is still open and they are asking us to come 🙄🙄 as I am travelling via public transport I am scared of the possibilities. Yes, am washing my hands frequently but still something is bothering!
It is tough to commute through public transport during these times but that is what majority of office goers use. Keep a vigil of people who have cough and cold and maintain a 1 m distance from them. However that is not a criteria as there are many asymptomatic transmissions too. but the number is pretty less as of now. Keep a watch.
Be safe dii my brother is living in Jaipur..
I sometimes feel so frightened I order him not to leave his Pg still after taking precautions I feel about his safety.
Don’t worry. It is not spreading rapidly in Jaipur. There were a few cases positive but all of them were admitted in SMS Hospital and there is a good news coming from there that their treatment is working till now… so nothing to worry.
Just precautions need to be taken.
Hi Manita,
This is very good information that you have posted in here! Very detail and helpful and clear. I want to add a few points , hope that’s fine!
There has been lot of misinformation floating around in social media especially with WhatsApp forwards!🤦🏽♀️People tend to follow WhatsApp guidelines more than actual medical guidelines! We need to be cautious and careful and most importantly be compasionate and not panic in such situation. It is in the testing times we need to support each other.
We are in California, US and the situation here isn’t that great! there have been over 500 cases here and most of the schools, colleges have been shut down until end of month with a probability that it could extend. Most companies have requested employees to WFH if they can. Non essential flying has been reduced to nil. No social gatherings for more than 50 people. Everyone is encouraged to participate in flattening the curve and social distancing. Major city operations like city halls, library, city centers have been closed to public. This is not to panic people but to reduce infections and spread. And majorly to reduce the burden on hospitals which we have seen in Italy.
There have been some side effects too..people are panic buying and many supermarkets and stores are out of essential stuff. There have been very many cases where people are hoarding stuff and selling them at higher prices. this is just pathetic on their part to make money during such distress times. If you can’t be compassionate to others, don’t be difficult on them. Please be considerate of frail, elderly and disabled people who find it hard to shop and stock up due to lines.
Just closing down everything is not that easy! please be aware that there are many many people aren’t fortunate to telecommute, have someone home to look after their loved ones, put meals on plate if they don’t work a day or two. People here have been complaining that the schools aren’t closed, and the government isn’t taking any measures to do so. We need to be aware that there are many parents who cant afford care outside of school or who cannot stay home to look after the kids, there are many kids who rely on school lunches, kids of healthcare professionals.
It is as a community we need to fight against the pandemic and help out each other. If you cant help, its completely OK, no one would judge you, but please please don’t be a pain in the behind.
Thanks for reading my rant!!😁😁
Stay Safe People!
You have added a very sensible and detailed information Saumya. Thanks for doing so.
I’m in touch with relatives in Germany and friends in London. The situaton is worse there.
I know that it is tough to completely shutdown everything. But it is very important for these coming 4 weeks which are crucial. Either we can cut down the rise in number or we’ll have to bow before the nature.
Like I have written in the post, if you can afford and are in a position to distance yourself socially, it’ll be great. Like, in India it doesn’t apply to daily wage workers. They cannot sit at home. Who will feed them.
But in other cases, it is better to go through some inconvenience, like maybe, have a community set up to take care of kids while one parent can look after kids on one day. Esp kids of doctors and emergency services. And take turns to do that.
Stockingup is human nature but crazy hoarding beyond 2-3 weeks is criminal.
Again, in India, we are used to shopping for an entire month in advance so it is useless to hoard more than that here. Same goes for every country. I’m appalled at people stocking up toilet papers and paracetamol in abundance. They don’t think about truly needy.
In UK, they are not getting paracetamol as easily as they used to.
So basically, common sense should be used at every step. Recreational gatherings should be minimised so that emergencies can be tackled. Non essential travel should be curbed so that essential ones gets prioritized. Collective management in case of an impending lockdown is needed.
It is only a collective effort to fight the disease that is going to save us and not competing against each other for survival. It is not a race. And if someone is not able to do anything, just follow precautions to stop the spread to others, like sneezing in the elbow, frequent hand-washing, early reporting… that is also a good positive step in stopping it.
Hi Manita
I am in Tanzania now . Yes ! an East African Country with very less medical facility available. Here the government is still sleeping and 1 case has been identified today but its pretty sure the number wud b much more as v have a lot of people arriving from China and Europe. I am sure its gonna go out of hand. Lack of medical facilities , awareness among the common people and preventive measures . What more should v need .This is the case with most of the African Countries . I am sure soon the world is gonna hear the worst news from African countries. Lets pray together and do our part.
Hello Arathy,
I can understand your concerns. Countries with limited resources are always on the edge. That is what happened with Iran.
I hope not, but God forbid, if we get more cases, India is not far behind as our population is mammoth and health facilities are limited.
As for you, don’t worry, don’t panic.
Practice the safety measures properly and avoid large gatherings and social outings, esp to recreational places, theatres, gyms etc… we can stop the spread.
Yes… We need to be careful about this.. Once this chain will break we will be safe.. And we need to follow each and every precaution. In our state places like schools, colleges, malls, parks, offices are closed so it will surely help to stop the spreading of virous. I hope we’ll overcome with this soon..
You are right. It is very important to break the chain right now. We will definitely overcome this.
Yes people pleas educate yourself on this virus rather just reading what the media says, Manita has put up links and advice from WHO read them and follow them please, because as young individuals it might not do is harm, but if 2e are carrying it without any symptoms and we pass people with low immunity or elderly people it can be fatal for them, so yes stay at home, so basic hygiene which everyone should be doing anyway and just keep safe!
😙
Thank you Aasma. I hope the message spreads far – Together, we can make a difference!
I had read that corona virus doesn’t attack when the temperature is high. I am currently in Tirupati. Because of the High temperature,impact of virus is less but I heard two of the residents of tirupati tested positive. As you said, Yes we will fight it and survive!!!
As of now, there is no evidence that the virus doesn’t affect you at hight temperature. It is true for other viruses but like I say, we don’t know much about this new virus. Eg are Australia and Singapore, both have high temperature currently yet they are affected.
Stay cautious!
Thnx for this note. At Maharashtra school- colleges are closed. Even my office was closed fir few days. Hope that this will pass soon and we all will be safe.
Yes. It will pass soon. It is a matter of 4-5 weeks. If all goes well, we might be able to stop the spread and WHO and doctors might come up with a treatment in the mean time.