I read in newspaper that 2nd March 2020 was the first day when Covid threatened to take the shape of a pandemic with the first set of travellers ( a middle aged couple from Pune) testing positive and it was found that more than 25 others, who had come in contact with the couple were also infected. This proved the contagiousness of the strain and its ability to spread rapidly and infect large parts of population, especially in a densely populated place like Mumbai. Till then only stray cases were observed mainly in Kerala.
How we all coped up with Covid between the 2nd March last year and today is now part of an experience that we all would like to forget. The initial days of Janta curfew, applauding Corona warriors, lockdown, Corona infections and resulting deaths, work from home, plight of migrant labourers etc are all etched in our memories like the most horrific experience of our lives.
Today vaccination has offered hope. The strain was also weakening till new more virulent strains were observed in South Africa and UK. Life is limping back to normal, but fear is clearly prevalent all over with a fresh wave not altogether ruled out. Agreeably, people have to come out of their houses to resume their jobs as sustenance is not possible by sitting at home. Also, people have to meet their beloved ones, whom they have not been able to visit for more than one year. But what’s not understandable is their callousness in not wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and reverting to bad old habits of spitting in open? Unless we are all aligned, transmission of the infection will not stop and we will not be able to exterminate the virus completely.
On personal front, I got the bitter taste of the malaise fully. My wife got infected, I too couldn’t escape it but most worryingly, my octogenarian mother had to be hospitalised and this was a real shocker as we saw senior citizens falling like ninepins having suffered Covid. But all’s well that ends well and I hope my personal story gets replicated for every household not only of this country but the entire world!
Arvind Arya blog 