With the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) having infected more than 90,000 people in over 80 countries and the death toll crossing 3000 globally, even as governments try to contain its spread, anxiety and fear have gripped the world. To stop the spread of the virus, people have started deferring and cancelling events that involve mass gatherings. Google has cancelled its biggest annual tech event I/O developer where it usually introduces a new version of its operating system Android, the India-EU summit scheduled to take place in Brussels has been called off and the world’s biggest sporting event Olympics is under threat though Japan has said that it is committed to host the summer games as planned. Indian lawmakers, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and President Ram Nath Kovind have announced that they would not celebrate Holi festival this year as the number of coronavirus cases in the country touched 30 after a Ghaziabad local was tested positive for the virus on Thursday. So much has happened across the world since the virus was first detected in China in December last year.
Like most countries, India initiated preventive measures against the virus in January, screening thousands of people at airports and seaports. The ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been revising travel advisories from time to time, and now, passengers with history of travelling to Italy or South Korea need coronavirus-free certificate from designated laboratories authorised by the health authorities of those countries to enter India. Health minister Harsh Vardhan said in his suo moto statement in Rajya Sabha on Thursday that the Central government was taking all possible measures to curb the virus from spreading. It is reassuring to know that the government is on alert and is taking up necessary steps. But there is a worrying factor amid this reassurance. The manner in which the number of infected people shot up to 30 in just a matter of few days, after it was announced that there were no new cases other than the initial three, is something that the BJP-led NDA government should look into. While it indicates the ability of the system to trace people who are possibly in contact with the infected, the possibility of infection happening on a much larger scale can’t be ruled out as those tested positive could have come in contact with many people before their cases were confirmed. This is why India cannot be complacent in fighting this disease.
The public too should play their part in containing the spread of the virus by seeking immediate medical care if symptoms like fever, cough, and shortness of breath show up after travelling, as screening can help detect only those with fever, whilst the incubation period of the virus can last up to three weeks. People should not resort to rumour-mongering or fall prey to it, and racial profiling is utter foolishness as the disease knows no race or ethnicity. People should not panic but help themselves and others stay healthy by following simple preventive tips like washing hands regularly, covering of the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meats and produce, and avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness, as recommended by the WHO. The fight against the coronavirus can be long and stressful but the world will overcome it like many diseases in the past.