Need to learn from the Pandemic
The only thing we need at the moment is to have patience until we get rid of this nasty invisible pathogen
Jahangeer Lone
Pandemics always bring fear, panic, terror and concern with them and this time it is more severe that too when the research and technologies are touching the sky. This is COVID-19! Originated in Wuhan, China on the new-year eve.
Usually New Year brings joy, happiness, delight and pleasure with the New Year resolution plans, but that is not always the case. On December 31st, 2019 China informed the World Health Organisation about mysterious pneumonia like infections in Wuhan region, who took the cognizance of it.
Initially given the interim name of novel-coronavirus, later on was classified as SARS-COV-2 as it is a successor to SARS-CoV whose outbreak was reported almost two decades back in the year 2003.
The illness caused by this strain of virus is designated as COVID-19 by WHO. It is believed to have zoonotic origin and have close genetic similarity to bat coronaviruses suggesting it emerged from bats.
Mystery! Right after its declaration as global pandemic on 11 March this year many countries ordered people to stay home to curb this menace and it still continues to shutdown the daily life across the globe.
COVID-19 has affected all age groups though those above 80 are more vulnerable. Presently, the only tool to combat this pernicious pathogen is social distancing and quarantine. Prevention is cure whereas social distancing and quarantine are the most effective prevention endeavours.
Research is a helpful ally, scientists are working day and night to prepare a vaccine that can defeat this pandemic. Coronavirus disease is wreaking havoc and is far from clear how long it will last. Restrictive measures like social distancing, isolation, contact tracing , travel history and lockdown has revealed the most efficient actions to control the disease spreading, but how long can that be done? Because with lockdowns extended other problems primarily the financial ones and the psychological would crop in.
With the advent of any catastrophic event it brings some life changing lessons with it. Similarly COVID-19 is expected to bring about major changes in global order. Post COVID-19, the countries need to create healthcare systems that protect and insulate health workers in foolproof ways, because we must admit that this pandemic tested the dedication of medical profession the most.
The healthcare workers duty to care for the sick at the risk of death is amazing. Doctors, scientists, paramedics, social workers the frontline fighters in this battle have the highest exposure to this disease and are at the risk of being infected. They are the real heroes. COVID-19 has taught us to be cautious and get prepared for any upcoming (God forbid) pandemic because wisdom lies in preparedness.
Research institutes must be strengthened with the development of early warning systems for future crisis to take us away from any future quagmire. This is particularly true for our state because we have very few if any dedicated research organisations and the ones we have possess little capability to do cutting edge research due to the lack of resources both human and material. Therefore, a lot of policy thinking on establishing modernised laboratories with highly skilled and trained manpower is the need of the hour, and this of course would involve financial investments.
Things can change in an instant. We believe that we are undestroyable but we are not, even a small virus like this can ruin everything in all of ways. We are fragile, but this fragility gives us better understanding to live our future with more realistic way.
In these tough times we realise that connection with people truly matters. They love us, hold us, encourage us and support us in hard times. The only thing during this crisis through which we could access with people is internet. Internet played a key role in these tough times. Almost everything from working at home to obtaining instructions from government and other organizations was possible only because this of internet. In the modern world internet is lifeline.
Majority of the people can work from home. Working from home has itself many advantages as the participants who are hundreds of miles apart can join easily without spending on travel, space, etc. Saving fuel, reducing traffic pollution and congestion are the other virtues of working from home.
This lockdown has cleaned the air of pollutants and reduced the respiratory diseases too. The great irony of this pandemic is that the countries having the best healthcare facilities, technologies and scientific resources are going through worst nightmares. Living in a rich and developed country doesn’t protect you from emerging infections.
Here everything is globalised, no borders and boundaries. It is actually the necessity of global cooperation in containing the infectious diseases. The only thing we need at the moment is to have patience until we get rid of this nasty invisible pathogen. The storm of COVID-19 will pass…… the mankind will survive.
(The writer is a student)
