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World over, countries are battling several phases of the Coronavirus pandemic with many having moved into wave 3 & 4. But what India is seeing, is not just a national health emergency but, a humanitarian crisis of epic proportion – what many rightly describe as ‘once in a century’ event. The blame game has caught on (the easiest thing to do under such circumstances), but taking a wide angle, the alarming surge in cases and deaths can be seen as a result of four factors: 1. Multiple mutations of the virus leading to double/triple variants that are reportedly 10X-100X more infectious 2. Lack of preparedness and proactive action from the government & civic bodies 3. Lax attitude by the people coupled with government’s hubris and 4. Super-spreader mass events specifically religious congregations, poll campaigning and cricketing spectacles – all with zero-adherence to covid-appropriate behavior. So, while the government inevitably takes a larger share of the blame, we as citizens too have contributed to the mess we are in. After all, it takes two hands to clap!
The sights of patients gasping for breath queuing outside the hospitals, endless wait of ambulances outside the crematoria, multiple bodies piled up on a single pyre, kith & kin of Covid-positive patients running helplessly from pillar to post in search of oxygen & medicines, an octogenarian sacrificing his ICU bed to make way for a 40-year old, a woman desperately giving CPR in an auto-rikshaw to revive her dying husband, people carrying corpses of family members in JCB and motorcycle, are heart-wrenching and deeply painful. The class divide is even more prominent now than it was at any time. While the poor and middle-class are left to die on the streets, the rich and the elite are fleeing to safer venues through chartered private jets. Our double and triple-time infected netas are granted ICU beds on priority with special security to guard the whole floor – thereby cutting off access to the general public, many of whom having more severe symptoms and no time to scurry around. But alas!, the masses are left to manage with leaky life jackets and row the boat with one oar while the ‘class’ is veering away in luxury yachts.
Pic courtesy Unsplash
On the other side, countless people have risen to the occasion as citizen warriors and are tirelessly serving those infected, their families, the poor and migrant workers, orphanages and the home-confined elderly by supplying food, essentials, coordinating with local Covid war rooms, Covid care centers (CCCs) & hospitals and running errands on a daily basis. It is so touching to see so many Muslim & Christian ambulance drivers and crematoria crew volunteering to perform the last rites of deceased Hindus – either because their entire family is under isolation or they have been shunned by fear of getting infected. What better picture of secular India can one get to see! Young college students are volunteering to fight off the infodemic monster, creating online repositories of verified sources/channels and liaising with hospitals/local bodies to arrange for blood, beds, medicines and food for those seeking help - the real faces of 'New India'. The outpouring of global aid in the form of medical supplies, oxygen concentrators, cryogenic tanks and anti-viral drugs among others from 40+ governments, MNCs, startups and celebrities is to be applauded. The ‘Make in India’, 'Vocal for Local' and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ are glorified nationalist slogans and make for a great peace-time narrative, but when a crisis of this order and magnitude hits, global solidarity and collaboration does matter.
It is undoubtedly the biggest human tragedy India has seen in recent times and overcoming it requires among many things, to approach it on a war-footing basis with a greater sense of urgency and seriousness. Specifically, an inward-looking approach at an individual level is key for us to collectively win the battle, more so as governments have let us down, institutional machinery has collapsed and healthcare systems are crippled. And for those of us living in cities - a majority of whom are currently remote working, this should be an easily achievable goal, albeit with some self-discipline and resolve. Here is my 5-point action plan for the next 8-10 weeks:
1. Steer clear from doomscrolling and do not fall prey to the infodemic. A big part of our diet comes from what you watch, what you listen to and what you read. Consume news on a ‘need’ only basis and instead, pick up a novel which you long wanted to read or turn on some soothing music.
2. With so much grief, suffering and misery all around, it is very difficult for one to stay calm. Devote some time daily towards mental wellbeing. It could be meditation, deep breathing or enrolling for a spiritual wellness session.
3. Set aside some time for indoor fitness activity (dance, yoga, spot jogging or cardio) or a hobby that keeps both your body and mind productively engaged.
4. Maintain a healthy and balanced diet and include good proportions of natural and plant-based immune-boosting foods. Also hydrate plenty and maintain a 6-7 hours of quality sleep routine.
5. It is humanity’s darkest hour of crisis, so be compassionate to people around, including security guard or the delivery boy. Each one is fighting his/her own battle, so show empathy and gratitude. These can help heal the wounds faster than money or medicines.
Importantly, stay home and observe all Covid-appropriate behavior – which is pivotal to each element of the action plan. With top 10 cities accounting for ~50% of country's total active cases, each of us (together with immediate family) observing restraint and resolve can help flatten the curve sooner. Our doctors, nurses, police force and frontline workers are fighting the battle from the front, staking their lives and of their families only to save their ailing countrymen. Their sacrifices are supreme and the nation will remain indebted to them. But lets not overwhelm them any more. These are extraordinary times and will go down in history as a war that was fought by doctors, not soldiers; a war fought with soap, not guns; a war fought by keeping distance, not contact and a war that was fought at home, not in the battlefield. I am optimistic, we will ride this storm ‘together, apart’!