We are in the striking range of beating Brazil to take the second position for the maximum number COVID-19 infected patients in any country. For the record as of now India stands at 38,10,625 and Brazil at 39,52, 790. In the month on Aug 2020 we have added more infections compared to any other country in the world. It is slowly becoming more and more difficult to find anybody who has not been impacted by the pandemic directly or indirectly. The tell tale signs are everywhere. There has been earnest efforts to bring back normalcy, some improvements might be forthcoming. But can we miss the backdrop?

It might just not happen that we miss out on the exponential nature of this contagion. US has been facing the music for quite sometime now. And on the top of it, an election is bound to happen. The connection between regular social interaction or any type of gatherings with the contagion has been well established. The increase is clearly visible in the groups indulging in those and amongst those who are performing COVID-19 duties of any kind. The opposite is also true, the areas under curfew post the riots in Bangalore have witnessed a total downslide. One certainly wonders if attending to all non-essential activities are adding to the spread. Life can go on only when life is not in danger. All Western European countries have unlocked when the number crossed the plateau and were on a steady decline.

The health crisis which has forced all of us to live in paranoia with no end in sight, is only one part the story. Besides the physical incarceration, mental health issues are on the rise. Can a prolonged situation of this nature not add to the stress and trauma? When nobody wants to move, not only for the fear of the getting infected but equally scared not to carry the infection to the elderly and persons with underlying medical conditions. The pics of the hospitals, the visible fears on seeing the PPE, the exorbitant treatment costs and not being able to find a hospital bed, such stories have literally broken the mental sanity.

The economic fallout seems to be on the lines of the Great Depression. Recession seems to be an understatement. Here too everyone is impacted. Job loss and huge wage cuts have become commonplace. Nobody is sure of his or her economic future. Yet, there can only be single pronged attack on the contagion. All efforts, resources, man power and assets of the Govt and those in the private sector having expertise and resources of this nature, should converge all their might, only for this task. There is nothing else beyond this. Without this, nothing else will yield results. The nature of current daily increase can only keep the whole country of gear. It can get worse. The time to recover will keep on the getting extended. We are on a tinderbox, first we have to win this war.

WITHOUT SORTING OUT COVID-19, NOTHING ELSE CAN BE SORTED OUT.

Sanjay Sahay Ex-IPS
Founder Director - TechConPro Pvt. Ltd.
https://sahaysdailypost.com
https://www.techconpro.in