COVID-19, the Lockdown, and Us

The pandemic in question has changed the way we live. From playing, learning, traveling to shopping, and working, everything has changed dramatically. Schools are closed, shops are shuttered, roadways, airways, railways all seem to be inactive, sports activities canceled, student exams postponed, workplaces limiting personnel entry to critical staff only while others are advised to work from home. What I see around me is everything has been placed on lockdown.  

Given the contagious nature of the pandemic, crowds are banned while distance keeping is advisable. WHO has suggested keeping a social distance of at least one meter. It implies avoiding public transport, curtailing contact with the general public, putting back unnecessary travel plans, skipping shopping in crowded malls, working from home, and whatnot. All this is adding to an altered lifestyle today and don’t know how drastic it’s going to be and no one knows the end.    

Every channel is talking about coronavirus outbreak and the fear and panic it has brought about among the public. I believe fear spreads more than the virus itself. I’m avoiding news on it, especially the news about the people who have been a casualty of the outbreak. Every bit of news causes intensified anxiety that results in a new wave of panic spreading through the crowd. It’s enough for me to learn about the extent to which I need to be cautious.

I have been working from home for the past couple of days. Initially, we were allowed to enter the workplace after a checkup of fever at the entry point. Suddenly, an instant lockdown was ordered in the country. We were directed to work from home using a VPN and other connectivity means. Working from home is, by no means, productive. For me, ambiance means a lot. There is an enormous gap in the two settings – working at home and working at the office. Work-from-home means you’ll be repeatedly interrupted. More to the point, I don’t get timely resolutions of my connectivity complaints by IT people. Punctuality is yet another concern when it comes to working at home. Last but not the least, a socially isolated life is difficult like hell, let’s pray for its restoration.