Living with lockdown

The fear of infection plays a bigger role than lockdown orders in making people stay at home and avoid high risk locations, a US research paper has summarized. Neither the fear factor nor the restrictions seem to be working- be it the Americans, or Indians. The Indian Institute of Science's (IISc) projection of the best and worst scenario for COVID-19 infections in India provides little comfort. India's total COVID-19 cases could be as low as 37.4 lakh and as high as 6.8 crore at the end of March 2021. In its 'worse scenario' projection, the model predicted no COVID-19 peak for India until the end of March 2021. Whereas going by the 'better scenario' India's COVID-19 peak could come by the 'second week of September or by October'. The exponential spike in virus cases is worrisome, but the situation is not out of control. The plain and simple list of what is required of citizens is as valid and vital today as it was yesterday. The IISc model lays great emphasis on the initiation of 'one or two day lockdown per week' to cut the rate of new infections. What is becoming difficult to deal with is the flagrant carelessness and resistance. Fines for not wearing masks far outnumber any other penal collection. Those being unmindful need to remind themselves that they may have forgotten about the virus, it certainly has not. As a last resort, various states and UTs have cracked the whip.

The pandemic is here to stay, for now, and living in denial defies logic. The process has been difficult, anxiety-prone and stressful, and not much is expected to change soon. Defiance is not the answer, compliance is. When the whole of humanity is affected, taking care of oneself means taking care of the other. This is a time of personal sacrifice for public good.

Chandan Kumar Nath,

Sorbhog, Barpeta