Since childhood, we all heard from our parents and advisors “eta korona, ota korona, she korona”. Now the time has come to understand the actual meaning of korona (corona). After a hundred years of the Spanish flu, our destiny called the new pandemic named coronavirus, the scientific name is COVID-19. But meantime last century the world has faced many more virus, some are pandemic and some are epidemic. What do these two terms mean? Pandemic which is worldwide spread disease and epidemic which is an outbreak.
VIRUS AND HOW IT ARRIVES
As per Wikipedia virus is a submicroscopic the infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses can infect all types of life forms, from animals and plants to micro-organisms, including bacteria and archaea. In a nutshell, COVID 19 or corona is nothing but a new virus though it is more dangerous than others because it changes character frequently as per the climate. According to scientists staying 4 meters away from another person can prevent 66% chances of the virus to enter our body.
PANIC IS OUR INHERENT
The exam is knocking at the door? Panic started. A storm is coming with big velocity? Start Panic. The earthquake will happen? Again Panic. So panic is the main reason to destroy our peace of mind. We observe most of the times panic leads to us taking wrong and aggressive decisions from health, education, relation and from all corner of our daily life.
If we think about the current situation please place your basic logic, knowledge in a cool manner. See the magic. I mean to say an optimistic result must come out. Think about the said virus. It will not catch us if being alert. It is most important to keep up-to-date with reliable information rather than Propagating wrong information. It can further fuel the panic among the people and have an adverse effect on the efforts to contain the pandemic.
Now come to the next point. Our nation and the rest of the world are in a severe state of emergency. Does it mean that we need to be panic? No, this disease might not have any vaccine yet but it has prevention/precaution. It refers that we can easily fight against it and defends ourselves by just staying more alert to our surroundings. We saw through it being very simple still some people are immensely panicked, whereas some people are not even maintaining these norms. We know in any pandemic it is normal to feel stressed and worried for many reasons. Such as, constant stream of news and rumours from the social media posts and messages. Moreover, fear of getting the virus, being isolated or separated from loved ones including food and Financial concerns for unwanted and rapid lifestyle changes.
Dear reader, please do not believe in any facts about anything until it’s by the professional’s version. Regarding this virus follow the doctor, virologist or any medical expert. Please not follow Fake news or Rumours. If you really feel sick on health issues don’t worry, take prevention but not panicked. Consult with your nearby doctors as fast as possible.
DO’S AND DON’T ( KORO AND KORONA)
We just need to stay clean and wash our hands with soap for 20 seconds or a hand sanitizer as many times as possible. Just follow these simple rules we can actually prevent the entry of this virus to our body. Medical advisories from the World Health Organisation (WHO) told:
Don’t
1) Do not touch your face.
2) Do not stockpile on musk.
3) Do not travel unnecessary.
4) Do not go to crowded places.
5) Do not believe everything on the internet.
6) Do not seek alternative treatments.
7) Do not take antibiotics.
8) Skip the flu shot.
9) Do not propagate hostility against Asians.
10) Maintain social distance.
DO’S
1) Cover your mouth and nose with disposable tissue or handkerchief.
2) Frequently wash your hand with soap and water.
3) Avoid crowded places.
4) A person suffering from an influenza-like illness must be confined at home.
5) Stay more than 4-meter length distance from a person sick with flu.
6) Maintain social distance.
7) Take adequate sleep and rest.
8) Drink plenty of water/liquid and eat nutritious food.
9) Person suspect with the influenza-like illness must consult a doctor.
10) Avoid cuddling stray animals.
TOTAL DISTANCE
Are you In the mood for shopping or feeling sad for not attending a shadi bari? Come on skipping a shadi bari won’t make you crazy, will it? And shopping, going to the mall….is it more important than your own life? not going to the mall will be a good decision. To survive in this crucial period what steps can be taken to stay uninfected, as the news keeps on telling what to do and what not. It Will help us primarily and the rest is in our hands, how are we to maintain hygiene? It includes total isolation, stay home watch movies, paint, sing, cook learn new things, go back in the past through photographs, do whatever but trust me you don’t want to be a part of a gathering.
So Not only socially but totally maintain distance if you want to beat the virus. Feeling the urge to leave home and breathe fresh air outside? well, let’s say the air around us is not very much clean either.
LOCKDOWN IS NOT A FIESTA
Well hold your horses it’s no time to have fun, it isn’t holidays either. It’s a lockdown period. What is a lockdown? Lockdown is an emergency protocol that usually prevents people or information from leaving an area, essentially an extreme form of quarantine. Don’t worry not all shops have stopped their services. Groceries stores, medical shop and daily bazaar are open to fulfilling your need. Basically shops that will help you survive the quarantine days are open. Our government needed to take steps to stop the growth of this virus before it was too late. Thus on 24th March, they announced a lockdown for 21 days.
SOCIAL MEDIA AT ITS WORST
Suppose an illiterate person makes fake news or gets fake news from a source and forwards it to his known people on WhatsApp, then from there it gets viral….literate people are also getting the news. Some choose not to spread rumours, some choose too. Therefore it’s affecting the entire society because social media connects people, whether a maid or a millionaire is this making any difference? Is it making the virus go? Think about it.
People with education will recommend not to give ears or eyes to social media as its information is nothing but a fake. We are only to believe the news that comes from doctors, virologist and experts on this particular field. May it be wats app or Facebook, please entertain yourself with all the videos and memes but don’t take any news regarding corona seriously as it will do nothing but strike you with panic which will lead to forwarding those messages unnecessarily. This fake news may also cause wrong treatment of a person who has been beaten down with coronavirus, its best to consult doctors in this matter.
We all know the science is a blessing and a curse to humankind, in the same way through technology the apps of being socially active plays a similar role in our life. It’s your absolute choice to use social media in a positive way or negative.
WHAT NEXT?
After a brief content, we finally come to the question. Is lockdown enough to end the spreading or kill of this virus? NO. Not a hundred per cent sure. Lockdown is just isolating people from gathering and preventing from catching the virus from others. On the other hand, we believe antidote of this virus will discover in near future but will there be any vaccine for this huge loss of economic tragedy that the whole world is facing for more 10 years to come!! Yes, reader, many economists assume this because the spine of the economic growth is broken.
What next? Does anyone have an answer?
SHILADITYA SAHA IS A STUDENT (CLASS X) OF FATHER LEBLOND SCHOOL (DARJEELING)