Post Lockdown COVID Phase
Dr SR Narahari, Director, Institute of Applied
Dermatology, Kasaragod, Kerala
How will the virus behave post lockdown?
The virus doesn’t know about lockdown or economy! It infects people. Resurgence
may happen once public transport begins. India probably initiated lockdown very
early that helped in containing the spread. Where lockdown implementation
didn’t work as expected is now reporting a high number of cases. Herd immunity
as part of the Indian population and younger age are in favour of taming virus
during the post lockdown. Kerala doctors believe that virus itself is less virulent.
Elderly in India, in general, avoid crowd, speed and disorderliness of Indian
cities and towns. Hence death rate is likely to be lesser in India post
lockdown. The virus may get reactivated when the rainy season begins and could
spread pan-India but may cause less devastation than in the Western countries.
Health
care workers and doctors of India are in general well trained and committed.
Their ability for early diagnosis, better managing co-morbidities and
lifesaving abilities would help in the fight against the resurgence. The virus
itself is likely to become less pathogenic due to millions of multiplications
in millions of humans in India. Ayurvedic and homoeopathic medicines and our
home remedies are likely to benefit the Indian population. An ordinary Indian
has the culture of namaste, not embracing or shaking hands, not using tissue
papers will be a great boon in preventing the spread.
Kerala
identified the first case in late January, and the first case reported in
Kasaragod on the 31st. Kerala benefits by Malayalee’s migration to
other places in the world, including Wuhan. People and Bureaucracy, especially
health department, understands the developments around the world. Kerala has
India’s best clinicians and health care providers and micro-level health
facilities. The government health facility in Kerala is well equipped;
Government health care providers are well paid, motivated and competitive. It
is the primary reason to undertake early prevention activities, including
setting up quarantine facilities for people returning from Wuhan. Kerala has an
educated population and understands the importance of preventive measures.
Well-connected but by their general culture population is restricted in
movement within the state and socialising Malayalee favours Kerala Samajams and
related community groups when they are outside the region. Poor in Kerala never
starve. Because of better social systems and peoples’ cooperation within the
society greatly benefitted the Government’s efforts in controlling the disease.
COVID
19, thought as superficial respiratory tract infection forced the racing
working class of cities around the world to keep indoors. It is now devastating
the economy worldwide may be due to the panic reaction of Governments,
corporate and business class. India, a country larger than a union of many
European countries and habitat to the maximum single conglomeration of people
on earth, it begins its economic activity post lockdown in various districts.
Rural agricultural activity has not come to a sudden halt even during the
lockdown. With vast reserves of food, the nation would not allow any citizen to
go hungry.
In
this extraordinary time Governments, NGOs, charity organisations and
philanthropists are coming out to support. Volunteers are working round the
clock to feed the needy. Free food grain supply to rich and poor alike, small
business groups and entrepreneurs supporting their organised and unorganised
labour force at least partially is observed in all parts of India. People of
India have risen to the occasion. Albeit section of ‘rich and poor’ with
‘ignorance and arrogance’ which is inherent to centuries of Indian mind-set are
now posing a danger to themselves and the society. People who are receiving
service may cooperate with volunteers and authorities until normalcy attained.
The officers and the public should not show a panic reaction instead of
resilience shown by the people during the lockdown. Governments and media
should focus on preventing resurgence by social distancing, avoiding crowding
in public places, and eat what is required to keep the digestive system under
good health. I also recommend people to take Ayurveda or homoeopathy as per the
advice of experts or traditional home remedies of the season that they have
been using since childhood.
Finally,
the assessment of the mortality impact of COVID 19 in pan-India requires
careful statistical evaluation. Due to the large population of India, death in
numbers is always high compared to less populated nations. The number of diseases is also high in the
country. All patients dying of old age, other conditions should be carefully
eliminated before arriving at COVID 19 numbers
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