Who would have thought that there would be a day (in our lifetime) where from Presidents to Prime Ministers to Kings, Queens and the Impoverished would all be treated (quip – affected) equally by COVID-19 without any compunction. It’s after all a Virus and it does not have any emotional intelligence to distinguish each one of us by our status, position of power, wealth, knowledge or anything else we possess or dispossess, including race, religion, color, creed and caste (I can’t include all the sub-sects within each category).
It’s all the same as far as this virus is concerned. Once you come in close contact with me, you possess me. I can either trouble you to no end (until you breathe your last) or can make you suffer, mild, medium or severe and leave you gasping for breath at the end of my stay, which can last from a few days to weeks and a month longer too in some rare instances.
At least, for this generation, this virus until now is truly one of a kind, never seen or heard before. I don’t know much of the Spanish flu that’s compared to COVID 19 perhaps due to the Pandemic nature of the virus, so can’t comment on the relative complexity and impact to Humankind as practically its two different eras in terms of advancement in Healthcare, Technology and Social awareness of diseases.
It has completely changed our lives, lifestyle, habits and the way we even perceive life. Though we knew, the virus kept emphasizing Life can be momentary after all. All the more through the flashing news everywhere, every time, it became the focus of our lives. There is permanence, of Death, that we know of, but never seen it so widespread, happening all the time, all over the globe. It created outright fear and panic. We wanted to protect our near and dear ones, especially the aged and the young who were much more prone and vulnerable to this hazardous disease.
While somehow one section of the society could stay connected, work, earn and carry on with their livelihood, many lost their jobs, income and suffered indefinitely and irrevocably. It also changed our perspective to life, to support, to provide and to give voluntarily and involuntarily to support the poor and those in need of help. I am not saying, the intent was not there or that we never contributed, it just got enhanced to a different level as we realized, it could have been us.
While the virus is yet to fade away into oblivion, life has become neo-normal for many as day-to-day livelihood and economics of life has taken over the inherent dangers of life. People are out of the predicament, Income versus Lockdown. I would rather take the necessary precautions that threaten immediate life than livelihood that can be a silent and slow killer.
Eventually decisions have to be made at every level, Government (to maintain their GDP, Growth and other financial parameters to keep the economic engines running and to sustain the social budgets for the entire populace that is below poverty) Industries and Companies to be viable profitably after the slump and Individuals to eke out a living and support their families. Whether the Pandemic surges or not, the underbelly cries partake and ensures that it’s heard at the forefront. I have to survive, whether I am infected or not by the virus. In order for that to happen I need the wheels of the economy moving again.
Thus we claim to be neo-normal or say this is the new-normal to carry on with what we do, but there is a section of the society that is truly blessed to stay indoors and live a more secure life than others. Therefore, we are morally obligated to salute and say a big thank you to the countless number of people who come to the hospitals to take care of those who are in need of medical attention, disregarding their own safety, who trudge the streets to keep them clean, who power the gas, electric and atomic turbines to give us power and water through the day and night, who patrol the streets to keep us safe from the crimes, who stand face to face with the enemies of the state and at the fictitious borders and lay down their lives, protecting ours and many others that continue to provide us with various essentials as we click online and order from the comforts of our home….we need to be proud of these compatriots that help us live a comfortable and sheltered life.
My gratitude extends from the depths of my heart to my fellow countrymen who step out every day from the well-being of their homes to ensure that the wheels of the economy and life in general run smoothly and securely.
Beautiful Life 