Take COVID-19 seriously

Through this column, I would appeal to Indian citizens of all ages and religions to take COVID-9 pandemic seriously.

COVID-19 should be well taken gravely because it is so life threatening and hazardous that it takes normally some days for symptoms to come into sight. And in this regard 75 per cent of those infected encountered only with a mild symptoms. As a result a large number of people doesn’t feel ailing or sick and not aware of the fact that they carry this contagious virus and spreading the same to a large extent. Basically, you don’t evolve the sign of fever when you are infected. But a fever may come out when the body is fighting with the virus strongly. Usually in certain cases there will be no fever because immune system will rapidly stop the virus comparatively in a simple way. Without testing everyone, we don’t know what proportion of India’s population is already infected with the virus, but it is likely much higher than we think.

Now just imagine if COVID-19 in India is increasing rapidly and 30 per cent become infected then our healthcare system will be in jeopardy and due to this huge masses people in India will die because they won’t get basic amenities for treatment such as ventilators. Many healthcare teams and medical professionals will get sick and unfortunately they have no option remaining to help and care the patients. And vice versa it’s a threat for our country. Indian citizens of all ages and religions requested you to take the COVID -19 pandemic earnestly. If anyone falls and realizes the symptoms then the better idea is to self isolate and consult with a doctor or inform helpline number so that you don’t spread the virus. We should learn a lesson from China, South Korea and Italy that have shown that early self quarantine measures are required to defeat COVID -19.

Pinaki Nandy,

Guwahati.