The Invisible Enemy: Covid-19

                                                    Dr. Keshab Chandra Mandal

                                        

Introduction

Novel coronavirus or Covid-19 is not merely a name of the most deadly virus; it is the deadliest and  most bizarre virus the world has ever seen. It has created the greatest endemic of this century, which has never been seen by any living human being across the world. The unseen enemy or unidentified killer virus does not care for age, sex, area, status and position of a person. It kills all who come in its contact. Since the beginning of the New Year, the draff disease had started to spread its poison from Wuhan in China to different continents in the world. The epidemic has so far infected about twenty five lakh people and killed nearly two lakh people around the world. Regularly almost one lakh additional people are getting infected globally and about ten thousand lives are being taken by this ugly virus. 

What is lockdown

   There was probably not a single disease, or any endemic that has created so much panic of death among so many people in so many countries ranging from America to Africa and from Europe to Asia. Almost every part of the world has seen unprecedented lockdown – the business is closed, the traffic is halted, and the movement of people is restricted; except for very emergency works people are not allowed to go out of their homes. This is completely a new experience to any living person aged one hundred or less. It is completely a suffocating situation to the students, children, youths, as well as workers of various sectors. 

Role Reversal

The role of different people has completely changed. Mothers are taking rest, while fathers are cleaning floors and utensils; millions of workers are working from home; police is controlling food distribution, giving hand sanitizer and masks, sensitizing people about Covid-19, requesting people not to go out of their homes without emergency works, instead of controlling traffic, catching thieves, pickpockets and criminal activities; actors are watching acting of others through You Tube, preparing kitchen garden, watering flower plants, playing with pets and kids; wives are cutting the beard and hair of their husbands; owners of factories and business houses are doing laundry of their own and other family members’ clothes; many others are engaged in painting, drawing and writing poems or articles. Some have re-started to write diaries of their daily experiences.

Dark Side

 Contrary to this, many daily laborers, farming people, coolies, barbers, auto-taxi drivers, bus drivers and helpers, tea-stall owners have started to experience hunger. The deprivation of a large section of the people is the hard reality in this situation. The condition of rag pickers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, rickshaw-van pullers, unemployed youths and jobless people is beyond description. Under the lockdown period, the migrated laborers and stranded people anywhere in the world are suffering from want of square meal, living in unhygienic environment, lacking pure drinking water and medicine. 

True Friends

Now the true friends are doctors, nurses, technicians, lab assistants, office staff, trolley boys, morgue and crematorium workers, ambulance drivers, helpers, night guards, care-givers and many other medical related workers.  The government, non-government and voluntary organizations, charitable institutions, ashrams and temples have come forward to help the needy. The contribution of rich, wealthy and hearty people in this crisis period needs to be praised and acknowledged with gratitude.  

Conclusion

On the above situation it is urged by WHO and various other national governments to maintain  public hygiene, safe distance, washing hands with soaps or frequent use of sanitizers, disinfecting home and office, wearing masks etc. Majority people in the globe are obeying respective government policies of lockdown; but still there are thousands of people, including some Presidents such as Donald Trump of USA and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, in various countries who are not seriously willingly to observe self quarantine and complete lockdown to enliven economy in their respective countries neglecting the valuable lives of their citizens. Hence, all people both general citizens and top political leaders of all countries need to be wise and reasonable enough to deal with the current situation.