“Corona cannot do anything to me! I am a strong person”. I heard such statement from many people. The way in which they defined their strength varied from person to person.
“I am an Indian. India has a strong cultural background. We Indians eat healthy food. So we are safe”. This is the argument of some of the people.
The first cholera pandemic (1817–24) started in Bengal and then spread to entire world, that too in the proximity of river Ganges. The culture and beliefs are philosophical subjects. They cannot protect us from pandemic attacks.
“I eat all kinds of foods and I have resistance power”. That is the argument of some other people.
Even if a person is strong, has immunity and resistant, that can help him only to protect himself from getting infected. But before virus dies in him, if he comes in contact with other person who is weak, he will pass on the virus without he getting affected. There will be weak members in each family – the ones who are aged above 60 years, the ones with heart problems and respiratory problems, etc.
“Corona caused only around 10 deaths in India. Infected only around 500 people. Then what is the necessity to worry?” Some people think that problem is not serious because number of deaths is small. Only around 3 % of total infected people died.
In India, right now, transmission of virus is happening only between people who traveled from other places and localites. So right now, spread is not vigorous. But when next stage starts, virus starts spreading within the community.
It is necessary to consider COVID-19 as a serious threat in order to prevent it from spreading to huge number of people because
1. Virus can kill the ones who are aged above 60 years and the ones who have other health issues like heart problem, respiratory problem, etc.
2. Unlike other life threatening viruses like HIV that transmit only when there is fusion of blood, COVID-19 can spread easily from person to person or/and from contact with contaminated surfaces.
3. Virus can live for 72 hours on nonliving surfaces. A person will show symptoms only 14 days after getting exposed to virus. So virus can successfully spread to others before the person shows symptoms and becomes alert.
4. COVID-19 can survive in all kinds of weather conditions ranging from hot and humid climates to cold weather. It can even survive in the snow.
5. There are no vaccines or medicines that can prevent or cure COVID-19 infection.
6. One of the most important reason is, there is lack of awareness among people.
K L Niharika 