Is this a new beginning?

Aarthi N

Things have changed drastically over days after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus or COVID-19. In India, there have been about 81, 970 confirmed cases (as of today) reported since January 30, 2020 (the first coronavirus case in India was reported) and the growth curve doesn’t seem to be slowing down. This is heavily dependent on the number of patients being tested and as we hear stories and read threads of tweets on twitter, we come to a practical realisation that not everybody is being tested and only those who have symptoms are actually being tested.

A native of Chennai, my city has the highest number of positive cases in Tamil Nadu and I get to hear from my relatives and friends and also from my most favourite sources, newspaper and news channels that people are taking things as usual and normal when they should be staying indoors and practicing social distancing to reduce the further spreading of the contagious virus.

The reality is that people are outside buying groceries and roaming about in their vehicles, the common understanding being that since most of them are wearing masks they wouldn’t contract the virus. But on the other side, people are panic buying because of the fear of unprecedented and seemingly never-ending lockdowns due to which shops may remain closed and they may run out of necessities.

The government has informed that shops can remain open for a particular time window even in the containment zones and that small industries can resume their everyday processes.

Personally, I feel that this will make the situation even worse. We all have heard about the transformation of the Koyambedu market into a cluster with a huge spike in the number of positive cases because of a huge influx of people.

Without strict social distancing and efficient adherence to the simple guidelines of washing one’s hands on a regular basis and wearing protective gear, things are going to remain the same.

When the movie 2012, a thriller movie which was released in 2009, I guess every one of us who watched the movie or just heard about it were either scared or curious to know if it was really going to happen. But, in actuality, nothing actually happened then. But today, things seem different. COVID-19 seems like a deadly disaster to all of us. It is not just the patient’s family, but we all are scared of what would happen if we came to contract the virus. Everyone is scared, right? Maybe a few are not. A few who do not fear death (in case) and who take life the way it comes. There are always two sides to the same coin.

It’s already May 2020, many of us are working from home, taking classes from home, searching for jobs from home (but only in vain for many including me) for more than two months together. We have been using the technology way too much these days to work and I guess after this pandemic, many will be happy to go back to schools, offices, and various other workplaces. This pandemic has been testing our patience a lot for sure. Agreed?

It is going to a new beginning for the whole world. Even if COVID-19 cases see a decrease in numbers, we all are going to live in fear or in confusion. We will be working in our respective places but with a different approach. Our faces will not be shown to others, and others have to find us with the identity of our eyes because masks will be made compulsory irrespective of who you are. There are high chances that gloves too will be made mandatory. Social distancing will be followed everywhere and we cannot sit close to our own friends during lunch or shake hands with them or clients or bosses which was once called a matter of work ethics. Even shopping will be different. Just imagine, only one or two individuals standing in the billing counter to bill their items. Cafes wouldn’t allow more than two, restaurants will have limited seats, theatres would be nearly empty, and I think people will be banned from giving a lift to others too. Who knows? Everything seems weird somehow.

This pandemic as said by WHO can stay with us for a long time and change our lifestyles altogether. We will have to adapt to the new changes quickly, but we will definitely miss the old days. We will be living in constant fear and if someone coughs, imagine the scrutiny that the person will face. But, we will be okay. We have faced a lot of challenges already and we can face this one with ease too. Even after this pandemic, family, friends, and loved ones are going to remain the same. A few lucky ones will have their jobs safe and the others will definitely figure a way out and find new and interesting positions (a note to myself too). A few changes in life will make our lives interesting and new in a good way. Let’s hope this pandemic brings challenges which will make every individual stronger and better. 

And lastly, the corona warriors are the ones we should be most thankful for. Without them, we wouldn’t have come so far. The doctors, nurses, policemen, and others who are helping to better the situation will always be in our prayers.

Proofread by Anna Cherian

Image courtesy: Pexels