Jaan bhi Jahan bhi- Living with Covid19

by Dr. Amit Kumar Jain and Surbhi Jain

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Our dream of getting life back on track after lockdown, even if gradually, is not going to come true very soon. The lockdown is only going to help in flattening the curve or slowing down the spread of virus but it is not the panacea. There is no hope of getting rid of the virus till a vaccine is invented or some cure is found - which is claimed to be at least a year away. Can we choose to remain in lockdown for such a long period? 

In India, we witness more than 400 deaths per day in road accidents but we have not stopped moving by road vehicles. Instead, we are making our vehicles, roads safer than before with the help of technology like traffic signaling, CCTVs, Speed detection cameras, red light violation detection system, proper design of roads, avoiding conflicting zones, air bags and disk brakes in vehicles, stringent requirements for obtaining driving license and so on. The number of deaths due to covid19 per day is less than 100 in India. It has been established that the virus is not very fatal with mortality less than 2 % except in elderly.  

Considering the huge impact of lockdown on socio-economic life of the people, the lockdown cannot be extended beyond a limit. Millions of jobs are already at risk of being lost due to two phases of lockdowns. Moreover, prolonged economic inactivity will lead to starved/undernourished population with compromised immunity unprepared to fight the virus. As succinctly stated by Hon’ble Prime Minister, we will have to follow ‘JAAN BHI JAHAN BHI’. We will have to learn to live with the virus for at least one year. Lockdown was a sudden brake to our fast paced life. We will have to restart life albeit in first gear cautiously and slowly. Social distancing, hygiene and self-discipline would be essentially required to protect ourselves from the virus. Here are some of the ways to beat the virus while living with it.  

Technology

We need to embrace technology in every walk of life to fight the virus. Telecommunication, video conferencing, tele medicine, facial recognition based attendance system, UV based disinfectants in offices, mobile application for tracking and tracing infected ones, digital payments to avoid exchange of currency notes, contactless smart cards are some of the technological ways to contain spread of the virus. AarogayaSetu, a mobile app recently launched by Indian government to track one’s interaction with someone who could have been tested coronavirus positive with the help of GPS and Bluetooth, shall be used by every smart phone user. 

Work

Work from home, flexi and staggered working hours will have to be adopted as a long-term policy by companies not only to maintain distances in offices but also in public transport. Strict protocol of temperature scanning and regular use of sanitisers at entry of offices, disinfection of office spaces, lifts, meeting rooms and other common places, liquid soaps in washrooms will have to be put in place. E-office, electronic means of communication and interdepartmental meetings through Video conferencing should be increasingly used. . One senior officer in each office may be nominated to ensure adherence to these SOPs.

Home

As we may carry the virus to our homes, a strict protocol is needed at our homes too like removing our shoes at the entry gates, going straight to bathroom and change all the clothes, wash hands with soap properly, washing used clothes in warm water daily, disinfecting mobile phone, watch, wallets etc. We shall not allow entry of any person like plumber, electrician without mask and sanitization of their hands. As elderly people are vulnerable to the virus, we may follow Turkey model which has banned elderly people aged 65 and above from going out. The lady of the house will have to ensure that home protocols are strictly followed. 

Food

The fruits and vegetables shall be washed with vinegar before using. Any packaged item shall be washed by soap water or sprayed disinfectant before opening the packaging. The food should be thoroughly cooked before eating. Non-veg may need tobe avoided. Home delivery of cooked food shall also be avoided for some time to minimize the risk of getting contaminated food. 

Shopping 

We will have to avoid visit to market in routine manner. For some time it is better to rely on online shopping with certain contactless deliveries and protocol like disinfecting the parcels before opening the packing. 

Public places 

We will have to curtail our visits to public places like Restaurants, clubs, malls, movie halls, parks, gyms, religious places, weekly markets and other areas where people gather at one place. Public places will be required to be disinfected regularly which can be certified by some independent agencies and regular checks by government agencies. The scale of celebrations of festivals, parties, conferences, religious/social gatherings will have to be curtailed to maintain adequate social distance during such events. Visits to gym, yoga, parks etc shall be replaced by indoor physical activities. 

Transport services

With unlocking the country, the transportation life line has to be restored with adequate precautions like disinfection of rolling stock before entering into service, ensuring availability of adequate toiletries in washrooms inside vehicles and at terminals, disinfection of public facilities at terminals, sanitizers and infrared thermometer at entry gates, Personal Protective Equipment for employees coming in contact with passengers etc. Distancing norms of 1-2 m may be adopted by marking foot marks at the queuing locations. Passengers shall not be allowed to enter terminals without masks. It is also incumbent upon us to minimise rush in public transport by avoiding travel in peak period, postponing tourism, visit to religious places, rushing to hometown during festival seasons, staggered working hours etc for at least one year.  

Rural India

70% of India’s population lives in rural areas. Fortunately, this virus is still confined to urban India and, therefore, rural India has been rightly exempted from lockdown 2.0. But rural India will have to be protected from the virus. Awareness campaign may be to be launched in villages to make villagers aware of the protocols to be followed. The Gram Pradhan may be given the responsibility to ensure the protocols are adhered in letter and spirit.

   The most important weapon against the virus is self-discipline. If we can discipline ourselves to follow the laid down norms, we can learn to live with COVID-19. The most important part of self-discipline is if one feels even slightly symptomatic, as a responsible individual, one should stop visiting public places immediately and contact nearest medical facility. This is a war between humanity and the tiny but might virus and can be won with adequate precautions and self-discipline.. These new norms will have to be imbibed in our way of life. Let us tighten our belts to fight the virus and start living our lives with COVID-19.

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by Authors of 'Exploring Life @2050". Views are personal